Songfics of Mark and Maddy
by ebi pers
Summary: A collection of songfics about Mark Reynolds and Maddy Shannon. Enjoy them, guys. I'll update as often as possible! Please R&R and drop me a line if you have ideas for songs I can use. Rated "T" for some implied sexual themes.
1. Skin and Bones

**A/N: Hello, everyone! My latest obsession is Fox's television drama Terra Nova. If you guys haven't seen it yet, YOU MUST! RIGHT NOW! I've always liked actress Naomi Scott and her character, Maddy Shannon, is one of my favorites in terms of personality. Coupled with Dean Geyer's character Mark Reynolds (also a very fascinating personality type—he seems confident but he's actually awkward and nervous) they make an irresistible storyline. This is my hand at songfics for them (yeah, yeah, yeah, I swore I'd only do it once and yet BAM here it is again). Please R&R! Updates will come as they come, I'm a busy person, y'know. **

Chapter 1: Skin and Bones

Song: Skin and Bones

Artist: Romance on a Rocketship

Summary: Mark is nervous about his first date with Maddy…

_I know I'm nothing but skin and bones, but I sure think you're beautiful, with your long, long hair and your big, blue eyes, I'm thinking 'bout making you mine tonight…_

It had taken him almost two hours just to pick out something to wear. This whole dating thing was a new and foreign concept to Mark. He hadn't taken much interest in anyone back in 2149, and until Maddy Shannon's arrival he hadn't taken much interest in anyone in Terra Nova either. But now…everything was different. Maddy was unlike any girl he'd ever met before. She was…real. She was down-to-earth, incredibly brainy, and her quiet, reserved nature was magnetizing. He wanted _everything _to be perfect.

After a lot of debating, Mark finally chose a simple, elegant black blazer and slacks and a white, button-down shirt. He took extra time showering and fixing his hair, hoping that Maddy would appreciate his feeble attempt to look more high-class than he was. When he was as done-up as he possibly could be, he flashed his most charming smile at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He felt like slapping himself. How could a smile like that ever win over a girl like her? It was too late to retrain his face to smile differently though. He had little over ten minutes to finish readying himself and walk to the Shannon residence.

_Hush your lips, I'm about to speak up. If I talk real slow do you think you can keep up with me; this time, am I out of line? I'm trying to be a gentleman, so please don't make me ask again. Yeah I got a lot of nerve, coming after you, but you're the only thing that's on my mind so what's a boy to do?_

Mark smirked as he remembered how this night had come to be. It had been difficult convincing Maddy to go out with him. It had been more difficult to convince her father. The first time Mark declared his feelings for Maddy to her father, Mr. Shannon had reminded him that he carried a gun. But eventually Mr. Shannon seemed to have a change of heart. Perhaps Dr. Shannon had something to do with it? She seemed to like him infinitely more than her husband did. After receiving the blessing of the parents, Mark had made a very awkward declare of his affection towards Maddy. And yet somehow she found it adorable. And she had accepted. That was what mattered. With a bouquet of fresh flowers and what he hoped was a winning smile, Mark set off to walk the short distance to the Shannon home.

It was the longest walk of his life. He finally reached the door and took a moment to gather his racing thoughts. He was sure Mr. Shannon would answer the door and bombard him with menacing questions designed specifically for tricking him into saying something he didn't mean. Swallowing his heart, he rapped on the door. To his surprise, Maddy was the one who answered.

His heart stopped for a moment. There she was, Maddy Shannon, the most stunning girl in the world. She was wearing a beautiful, dark purple dress with slim straps and her hair was done up perfectly in a bun perched atop her head. Mark may as well have shown up in rags. Maddy's smile lit up her face and Mark struggled for words.

_Let me keep this short and sweet, you're the prettiest thing that I ever did see. I know I'm nothing but skin and bones but I sure think you're beautiful, with your long, long hair and your big, blue eyes, I'm thinking 'bout making you mine tonight. _

"Maddy! You look…wow…" Mark managed to formulate, all the while chiding himself for sounding so stupid. She must've though he was an idiot!

"Well you don't look so bad yourself," she responded easily, the radiant smile never leaving her lips. "Why don't you come in," she asked, standing aside to allow him access to her home. Mark passed through the door and was immediately caught by Mr. Shannon's death glare. He gulped.

"Sit down, Reynolds," Mr. Shannon ordered. He was seated on one of the chairs, his wife beside him. Dr. Shannon looked like she pitied the boy. Mark complied with Mr. Shannon's command. "Maddy, why don't you go…freshen up or something?"

Maddy rolled her eyes, muttered something about her dad scaring off her boyfriend, and then crossed over into her room to pretend to powder her face.

"Reynolds," Mr. Shannon started.

"Y…you can c…call me Mark, sir," the soldier managed to choke out.

"I prefer Reynolds," the man insisted. Mark didn't press the issue further. "You know how I feel about my daughter dating you…how I feel about her dating anyone…"

Mark gulped, half-expecting Mr. Shannon to feed him to a slasher. Dr. Shannon eyed him warily, afraid he may say something to scare the poor boy off.

"But…" Mr. Shannon went on, "if she really must date someone…" Mark waited hopefully. "I'm glad it's you," Mr. Shannon finished.

Mark felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He breathed a sigh of relief and his face twitched into a half smirk. Mr. Shannon stilled eyed him suspiciously. "I say that because I've seen how chivalrous you act."

"T…thank you, sir," Mark stuttered.

"But!" Mark winced at the three-letter word. "I'm still laying out some rules! I want her home by nine thirty at the latest. I don't want you going past the gates. I don't want you two getting into any trouble, and if I find out you did anything more than hold her hand, I'll skin you and wear your pelt as a trophy, understand?"

"Jim!" Dr. Shannon interrupted. "You're terrifying him, don't you see?"

"Elisabeth, please. He knows I'm only kidding," Mr. Shannon grinned. "Mostly."

"Mark, you seem like a very nice young man. We're trusting Maddy to you, now go have a good time," Dr. Shannon told him.

"But I didn't get to the…" Mr. Shannon started, but his wife interrupted him.

"Jim, I could use some help hanging this painting on the wall in our bedroom, why don't we go over there now?" It wasn't a question. She hoisted him up off the chair and nudged him towards the back room of the house.

"Remember! Have her home by nine thirty!" he called over his shoulder to Mark.

"Jim…" Elisabeth groaned a warning.

Maddy's door opened as soon as the two were gone and she sauntered over to where Mark stood. "Sorry about my dad, he's a little bit psycho sometimes."

Mark grinned as he placed his arm over her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You look beautiful by the way."

"Well aren't you sweet?" she replied as they headed for the door. For some reason, Mark couldn't stop smiling.

_I know I'm nothing but skin and bones but I sure think you're beautiful, with your long, long hair and your big, blue eyes, I'm thinking 'bout making you mine tonight…_

**A/N: So there it is guys! Chapter 1! I think this song is, like, the PERFECT representation of their relationship. I've heard some disturbing news about the show: apparently some character that everybody "loves" is going to die in the season finale. I hope to God it isn't Mark because there's so much left to the Mark and Maddy saga that needs to be explored. Kill Malcolm, he's kind of a douche anyway! (Just kidding, Malcolm lovers!) So please let me know what you think. If any of you have recommendations for more songs for this pairing, let me know in a REVIEW! (so please leave one!) **

**NEXT CHAPTER: Listen to Your Heart by DHT (feat. Edmee)! Make sure to follow this story if you want to know the second an update goes up! **


	2. Listen to Your Heart

**A/N: Hey guys! I was too excited about this songfic collection to stop writing it! What can I say? My muse is very active right now! Enjoy it guys, and don't forget to drop a review! And if you have any more song recommendations, lay 'em on me! I only have about five chapters planned out right now and I'd love to have a lot more!**

Chapter 2: Listen to Your Heart

Song: Listen to Your Heart

Artist: DHT featuring Edmee

Summary: Maddy thinks she's caught Mark cheating on her. How can he convince her of the truth?

Maddy stepped out into the crisp Terra Nova night air, holding her denim jacket close for warmth. She smiled inwardly as she thought about what she had planned—a pleasant little surprise dinner for the two of them in a secluded spot outside the marketplace in full view of the night sky and _out _of full view of her father. She sauntered up the steps to Mark's home, considerably smaller than her family's due to the fact that he was living alone. She didn't knock—she didn't feel the need to. She opened up the door and was shocked to find Mark—her boyfriend—hugging some blonde girl and smiling. He looked up at the sound of the door opening and spotted her.

_I know there's something in the wake of your smile. I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yeah. You built a love, but that love falls apart. A little piece of heaven turns to dust._

Maddy stood stock still for a moment, betrayal marked clearly on her face. A tear welled up in her eye and she did nothing to fight it as it trickled down her face.

"Maddy, I swear this isn't what it looks like!" Mark spoke almost pleadingly, panic in his expression.

"Funny," Maddy's voice was cold and quiet, she was desperately fighting back tears. "Because it seems to be exactly what it looks like, Mark." And then the tears came, faster than she could restrain them. She turned and started to leave.

"Maddy, wait!" She paused, and then continued on out the door. "Maddy!" Mark called, following her. She broke into a run, trying to be anywhere he wasn't. She could hear the sound of his footsteps running after her.

_Listen to your heart, when he's calling for you. Listen to your heart, there's nothing else you can do. I don't know where you're going, and I don't know why, but listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye…_

Maddy paused. She was out of breath and standing in the middle of the orchards that grew in the very heart of the colony. She sat down and leaned against the trunk of an apple tree for support, gazing up at the starry sky that she should have been enjoying with Mark. Putting her face in her hands, she began to sob.

_Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile. The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yeah. They're swept away and nothing is what it seems. The feeling of belonging to your dreams…_

She looked up as she heard the crunching of footsteps approaching. She saw Mark and shrank back into the shadows of the tree, desperately trying to hide herself. But he'sd already spotted her.

He squatted down in front of her hiding place like her dad used to do for her when she was sad or hurt. There was something encouraging about the small gesture and she looked up at him. He wiped away a tear from her cheek with his calloused hand.

"Maddy," he whispered. She whimpered something and he continued. "I know it looked bad back there, but I swear to you it wasn't what you think." Maddy eyed him cautiously, still not coming out. "Look she's a good friend of mine who works in the science lab. She's been away for a while and she just got back from outside the gate. She was just stopping by to say hi."

Maddy regarded him dubiously. "Maddy, I swear. We've been friends since we both arrived here on the same pilgrimage. She's like a sister to me. You're my girlfriend, Maddy, you know that." Maddy still didn't respond. "I love you, Maddy Shannon. I love you too much to hurt you like that."

The girl froze for a moment. Up until then it had sounded like a cheesy cliché from a desperate guy, like in the trashy novels her mother enjoyed (but would never admit to reading). But something about the way he said he loved her made her believe.

Mark sighed. "Maddy, look, I can't force you to believe me…it's just…I'm sorry, Maddy," he made a move to leave but she grabbed his wrist. He seemed startled by this.

"No," she whispered, wiping the last of her tears and grinning. Her voice was still thick and choked-sounding. "No, no, no. I'm sorry."

"Why? Why should you be sorry?"

"I jumped to conclusions," Maddy admitted. "I almost ruined…us…I'm sorry."

"But if I had just met her outside or something instead of at my place none of this would have happened. I'm sorry."

Maddy almost laughed. "Are we having a fight over who's sorry?" she asked.

"Alright, Miss Shannon, we're both sorry. Sound fair?" he grinned.

"Sounds fair, Mister Reynolds," she returned the smile. He helped her out from beneath the tree. "It's a little late but I was wondering if maybe you'd like to have dinner?" he asked.

Her smile broadened. "I'd love to. I know the perfect spot."

_Listen to your heart, when he's calling for you. Listen to your heart, there's nothing else you can do. I don't know where you're going, and I don't know why, but listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye._

**A/N: There it is guys, hope you enjoyed. I was trying to avoid being too sappy and cliché but eventually I just accepted the fact that there's no way around that in a fic like this. So let me know what you think in a helpful review! And don't forget song suggestions if you want to see more than just five chapters of these two. I know I want more!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga. Follow this story if you want to know as soon as the update goes up. It shouldn't take too long since I'm kind of in love with this story! **


	3. The Edge of Glory

**A/N: I'm on a roll guys, don't stop me now! Couldn't resist another chapter! This one features one of my all-time favorite songs! Drop a review to let me know what you think and remember: I need song suggestions! Anything and everything will be considered! Review or message me if you have ideas! Gracias! **

Chapter 3: The Edge of Glory

Song: The Edge of Glory

Artist: Lady Gaga

Summary: Mark and Maddy find the perfect place to watch the fireworks at the Harvest Festival.

_There ain't a reason you and me should be alone, tonight yeah baby, tonight yeah baby. I got a reason that you're who should take me home tonight…_

Mark held Maddy's hand gently as they danced in the middle of the crowd. There were many lights, tons of chattering and smiling faces, and a lot of celebration. The light mood clung to the air. Even Mr. Shannon seemed to be having a good time, despite the fact that his daughter was off dancing with her...boyfriend. (He begrudgingly thought the word)

Maddy laughed as Mark clumsily tried to maintain a beat to the rhythm.

"What's so funny, Miss Shannon?" he spoke through chuckles.

"You have two left feet!" Mark dropped her arms and looked insulted. Her face dropped. "Mark, no, I didn't mean it…"

He laughed and grabbed her hands again. "Nah, I'm a bad dancer, I know it!" Maddy smiled and snuggled into his chest. Mark glanced at his watch. "Hey, the fireworks are going to start soon. I know the best place in the entire colony to watch."

"Where?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. She had only read about fireworks in books, never seen them in real life.

"C'mon, I'll show you!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her off toward the walls. Finally, he reached one of the lookout posts. The number of guards on duty had been cut in half due to the festivities so most of the lookout points were empty. This made them perfect vantage points for watching the amazing display of colors. The two scrambled up the ladder like kids in a tree house.

_I need a man that thinks it's right when it's so wrong, tonight yeah baby, tonight yeah baby. Right on the limits where we know we both belong tonight…_

With the two situated in the tower, Mark wrapped his arm around Maddy's shoulder. She smiled and leaned into his embrace. A slow song began to play from the speakers down below.

Mark grinned. "May I have this dance, Miss Shannon?"

"You may, Mister Reynolds," she held out her hand and he clasped it, drawing her in for another awkward slow dance.

_It's hot to feel the rush, to brush the dangerous. I'm gonna run right to, to the edge with you, where we can both fall far in love…_

The first firework shot off, startling both teenagers and bathing the colony in a white glow. Maddy gazed, awe-struck, at the sight.

"They're so…beautiful…" she gaped.

"Aren't they? You can't get this back in 2149." He wrapped his arm around her again and she leaned her head in the crook of his neck. Another rocket went off, changing the sky from dark blue to a brilliant red, then green, then white again, then blue. It was breathtaking, especially from the tower they were standing on.

Mark turned to face her. She was beautiful. The glow from the fireworks heightened her beauty. He didn't know what made him do it, but he slowly leant over. She looked up at him and instinctively leaned closer, her eyelids fluttering as their lips met. The kiss was slow, sensual, and warm. The fireworks forming the perfect backdrop, revealing two shadowed figures in a tender embrace.

Down below, Jim Shannon spotted the two and practically choked. What were they doing up there? He very nearly broke his own teeth in rage. Elisabeth noticed this and quietly distracted him with the display of colors above them.

Maddy wasn't sure who broke the kiss. Mark looked hesitantly at her for a moment. "Sorry," he muttered awkwardly.

Maddy grinned at his gentlemanly behavior and, grabbing his hands, leant up and kissed him again. In the sky, the fireworks exploded in the grand finale, colors showering down over Terra Nova.

_I'm on the edge of glory. And I'm hanging on a moment of truth. I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you. I'm on the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge. I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you. I'm on the edge with you._

**A/N: So…what did you think? Was it sweet? Let me know—I can't improve unless you review! And again, I need songs for more chapters so message me or review with ideas. Thanks!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Domino by Jessie J. Follow this story so you know when it goes up! Thanks, all! **


	4. Domino

**A/N: YAY! Another update done! Response to this piece has been disappointing so far—COME ON GUYS! I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE! LEAVE A REVIEW! Don't make me have to bribe you…anyway I'm reaching the end of the songs I have planned BUT: I want to write more for these two, so pretty please leave a review and give me ideas for songs—I'll take anything and everything so long as its relevant to the emotions of this couple. And the season finale is coming up! I'm praying Mark lives to fight another season. Something tells me it's gonna be Skye who ends up sacrificing herself. What do you guys think? Weigh in with a REVIEW! Special shoutout to RoryFaller, the only one who's actually been reviewing this piece! Warning: this one is "T" rated for sure. Some underage drinking is ahead. Suggestive lyrics, suggestive writing. Nothing terribly graphic, but just be warned. This one pushes the envelope of innocent romance…**

Chapter 4: Domino

Song: Domino

Artist: Jessie J

Summary: Mark and Maddy go to a party hosted by Skye and company. Things get passionate when Mark starts drinking…

Maddy modeled six different dresses in front of the mirror in her room, each time parading in front of her mother and asking for advice.

"Oh, you look lovely dear," was the inevitable response.

"Mom, you're not helping here!"

"Stop worrying," her mother soothed, barely glancing up from one of her countless medical research journals. "Go have a good time."

"But I can't just have a good time, Mom. This is a party! Like a real party! Everything has to be…" Maddy took a deep breath, "perfect."

"Well it really doesn't make a difference which dress you pick, darling."

"You know what? I'll just ask a guy. Josh!"

Josh poked his head out from his bedroom door. "What do you want?"

"How does this dress look?"

"On you? Ugly." He disappeared back into his room.

"Ugh! None of you are helping here!"

"I can help," her father offered. "That dress is way too short."

"That's the style, Dad."

"Well don't you have anything…longer? Like maybe down to your ankles?"

Maddy walked back to her bedroom, ignoring her dad's last comment. Rummaging through her closet, she found a thin black dress with a band of golden glitter running across the waist. She grinned inwardly. It was perfect!

_I'm feeling sexy and free; like glitter's raining on me. You're like a shot of pure gold. I think I'm 'bout to explode…_

At eight that evening, Mark showed up. He wasn't wearing his normal army fatigues, but instead he had chosen a white and navy blue golf shirt and khakis. Maddy left the house with her arm hooked around his, her father shouting dire threats about what would happen to Mark if he returned her home past midnight.

The house that Skye and her friends occupied was no larger than any other in the colony, but with all the furniture moved out the space seemed huge. Colored lights played across the floor as music blasted from all directions. People were chatting and laughing outside while others were quickly getting drunk out back. Maddy was excited—this was the first party she'd ever been invited to.

After stopping to exchange greetings with Skye, the couple entered the house. The living room had been cleared out and turned into a dance floor-esque space. The colorful strobe lights were dizzying as people moved to the beat from all sides. She dragged Mark out onto the floor despite his protests.

_I can taste the tension like a cloud of smoke in the air, and now I'm breathing like I'm running 'cause you're taking me there. Don't you know? You spin me out of control…_

Maddy observed the way others were dancing and quickly began to follow the same steps, Mark's arms securely fastened about her waist she grinded against him.

_We can do this all night, damn this love is skin tight, baby come on. Pull me like a bass drum, sparking up a rhythm baby come on…_

"Having fun?" he shouted above the noise, looking rather self-conscious.

"Yeah, aren't you?" she asked.

"Oh, I could be having more fun," he replied. "You know how I hate dancing."

Maddy laughed and increased the rate at which she was dancing. Mark clumsily followed her lead. As the song ended, he pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her lips. She was stunned. They had kissed before, but it was so…unexpected.

Mark pulled away and the smirk on his face was almost smug. "Care for a drink?" he asked, his gentlemanly demeanor conflicting entirely with what he had just done. He escorted her to the nearby 'refreshments,' which consisted largely of alcoholic beverages of the moonshine variety.

"I don't think so," Maddy looked at the drinks with mild disgust. Mark plucked a bottle of pink liquid from the 'bar' and seated himself on a stool against one of the far walls.

"Why don't you sit?" he asked her.

"Where?" she responded, noting that every other seat was taken.

"How 'bout here?" Mark grabbed her gently by the waist and guided her into his lap. Maddy leaned back so that she was nestled comfortably into the crook of his neck as he sipped his drink. The music continued to blast as more and more people arrived.

"Now are you having fun?" she asked him.

"Maybe a little," he replied, taking another swig. Unexpectedly, he turned and kissed her again, this time a little bit more passionate then before. She knew it was the alcohol that was doing it, but she still couldn't resist kissing back.

_Rock my world into the sunlight, make this dream the best I've ever known. Dirty dancing in the moonlight, take me down like I'm a domino…_

Before she knew what was going on, she had shifted and was now straddling his lap. She could feel his tongue working its way into her mouth. It was reckless, it was a little inappropriate, and it was foreign to her. But she couldn't resist it. The alcohol was eliminating Mark's moral barriers and for once she could see how passionate he truly was. If only her dad could see this! He'd probably hang the boy by his hair and beat him with a blunt object!

Mark's lips travelled from her lips to her neck, planting sweet little kisses at the base. Maddy giggled. He was intoxicated, and somehow this made her throw all caution to the wind.

_Every second is a highlight. When we touch, don't ever let me go. Dirty dancing in the moonlight, take me down like I'm a domino…_

The pair finally left the party at a quarter to midnight with Mark in a state of drunkenness she had never witnessed before. She helped her off-balance boyfriend home and made sure he was safely in bed to sleep off the night, then quickly straightened the dress, which had become wrinkled from the night's events. She made it home just before midnight and found her dad sitting in the living room waiting for her.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it," he told her.

"Oh well I made it alright," she bit back a smile. She was giddy with the sensory overload of the party.

"Where's Mark?"

"He's…at…home."

"He didn't walk you home?"

"He was…exhausted, Dad. I told him not to bother."

"Oh. Well." Her dad cleared his throat awkwardly. "What's that on your neck…?"

"Nothing!" she burst out. "I'm…really tired, good night!" Maddy half-dashed to her room and turned off the light, making a mental note to wear something with a high collar the next morning…

**A/N: So, what did you think? Before you ask, NO! They did NOT HAVE SEX! Gosh! I wanted to capture Maddy's reckless abandon due to her newfound freedom. And left's face it—in that environment, he was bound to get drunk and start doing stupid stuff. And she seems like the repressed type so she was more likely to allow it. Plus the song was suggestive, so I felt the writing should be as well. So leave a review. Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Again, thanks to RoryFaller—the only person who cared enough to review so far! (Hopefully a few more of you will join the list of reviewers!)**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer. Don't worry: it won't be as suggestive as this one was! Follow the story if you want to know as soon as I update again. Thanks, guys!**


	5. Kiss Me

**A/N: Woohoo! Chapter 5! Right now my list of songs has grown to eleven (including the four I've already used). But I definitely want to write more for this pair so give me ideas when you leave a review (which you will do, I'm sure). Alternatively, message me with your ideas and we can discuss more in depth. The idea for this fic is a flashback to Jim and Elisabeth's dating days, with Naomi Scott as young Elisabeth and Dean Geyer as young Jim. It's still Mark and Maddy (the actors, anyway) but I thought it might be fun to explore how reckless the parents were in their past—perhaps that's why Jim is so overprotective? There will be Mark/Maddy stuff going on too, but the main emphasis will be on the Jim/Elisabeth flashbacks. **

Chapter 5: Kiss Me

Song: Kiss Me

Artist: Sixpence None the Richer

Summary: A flashback to Jim and Elisabeth's dating days, starring Naomi Scott (Maddy) as young Elisabeth and Dean Geyer (Mark) as young Jim. At the same time, Mark and Maddy are heading out for a trip to the meadow (after their first one was botched by a meteor). This is longer than most fics but I hope it'll be worth it. Enjoy!

Mark Reynolds approached the Shannon family's small house carefully, hoping to avoid being caught in one of Mr. Shannon's nasty glares when he went to go pick up Maddy. He rapped lightly on the door. To Mark's dismay, the door opened to reveal Mr. Shannon, a half-amused, half-intimidating look on his face.

"Reynolds," he addressed coldly. The boy gulped.

"M…Mr. Shannon," he returned. "I…I'm just here to pick up Maddy."

"Where are you going?" the father demanded, not letting the kid leave without squirming a bit first. It was a source of entertainment.

"Jim, Maddy already told you where they're going…" Elisabeth's voice called from the bedroom.

Mark looked at Mr. Shannon hopefully. "Refresh my memory," he insisted.

"We're going just outside the gate, sir, for a picnic dinner."

"Little late to be going OTG, isn't it? It's not safe."

"D…don't worry about a thing, sir, I'll protect her if anything comes near…" Mark hoped he sounded more confident than he was.

"Keep shaking like that and you won't be protecting anything," Jim mumbled. "Maddy! Your friend is here!"

Maddy strode out of the room cheerfully and Mark stared at her in wonder. She was wearing a rich shade of purple which went perfectly with her lightly-tanned skin. She kissed his cheek, intent on making her father's blood boil a little. "He's more than just my friend, Dad."

"Don't remind me," Jim grumbled as the couple walked off, arm in arm.

"We'll be back before curfew!" Maddy called over her shoulder.

"Yeah, you better be!" Jim called back. He watched them disappear from view and sighed, slamming the door shut. He turned and found his wife watching him, a look of tenderness and amusement playing on her lips.

"What's so funny?" he asked her.

"You!" She replied. "You sound just like my father did when you came to pick me up for our first date. And Mark sounds just like you did!"

"I was not that shaky!" Jim insisted.

"My father could make you tremble," she recalled. "And I used to have to intervene. Does this whole situation sound familiar to you?"

Jim smirked sheepishly. "Maybe a little."

Elisabeth took his hand and they sat beside each other on the couch. She leaned on his shoulder. "Go easy on him, okay? You were much the same way…"

FLASHBACK

Jim Shannon walked up the flight of stairs that lead to the apartment where his newfound love resided. It would have been a short walk, ordinarily. But he would have Elisabeth's father to contend with. And he was a tough one to crack by all accounts.

The door was opened seconds after he knocked on it and he was greeted with the sight of a man with a thick mustache and a stern look on his face.

"Are you Jim?" his English was crisp and accented.

"Y…yes sir, I am. Jim Shannon. It's a pleasure to meet you," Jim stuck out his hand for a handshake but withdrew it after the man made no move to take it.

"You be careful with my daughter, Jim. She's my eldest—and I only have two daughters. Do not try me."

"N…no sir, of course not sir, I would never…" Jim broke off after Elisabeth's father shot him another nasty look.

"Elisabeth, your friend is here."

Elisabeth came out from the small room in the back of the apartment. Jim's breath hitched when he saw her. She was beautiful! Her deep, green sweater complimented her tanned skin and her hair was held in place by an ornate clip.

"Hi Jim!" she grinned widely. "Father," she turned to address her dad, "I'll be back before curfew."

Her father grunted affirmative and the two took their leave before he could change his mind.

END FLASHBACK 

Mark led Maddy to a meadow close to the colony's gates and spread out a small blanket for the two of them. The spot was in full view of the moon and large, prehistoric lightning bugs drifted lazily through the air. The two sat, laughing and talking in between eating.

_Kiss me, out of the bearded barley, nightly beside the green, green grass. Spin, spin, spin the spinning step. You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress…_

When they had finished eating, the two sat back and gazed at the stars. Mark showed her how to spot shapes in them and she would laugh hysterically at some of the ridiculous descriptions he offered, such as 'bear-in-a-party-hat-singing-to-a-cupcake' or 'two vicious stallions fighting over a broken guitar.' The night breeze blew warmly against their faces and the sound of their light-hearted laughter floated through the air. Mark kissed Maddy tenderly, brushing a stray strand of her beautiful, dark hair from her face.

_Kiss me, beneath the milky twilight. Lead me, out on the moonlit floor. Lift your open hand, strike up the band make the fireflies dance, silver moon's sparkling, so kiss me…_

FLASHBACK

"Where are you taking me?" Elisabeth asked in an exaggeratedly innocent tone.

"It's a surprise," Jim grinned, holding her hand as they walked through the streets of Chicago with their respirators on. Arriving at the location, he told her to close her eyes. He then guided her into the laboratory and seated her inside a plush chair in one of the dark rooms.

"Open them!"

"Jim, where are we?" she asked after a brief pause to take in the darkness.

"Wherever you want to be!"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Name a place, any place in any time period."

"Um…how about a nice trail beside the lake somewhere in the Midwest?"

The room brightened and soon the sound of buzzing reached their ears. A scene faded into view all around them and Elisabeth gasped in wonder as the exact scene she had described appeared before her. "What is this place?"

"It's one of the college labs," Jim grinned. "They're working on an interactive library!"

"Oh, Jim! It's almost like we're there!" She laughed happily and he beamed.

_Kiss me, out by the broken treehouse. Swing me on its hanging tire. Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat. We'll take the trail marked on your father's map, oh. Kiss me, beneath the milky twilight. Lead me, out on the moonlit floor. Lift your open hand, strike up the band and make the fireflies dance, silver moon's sparkling, so kiss me._

"What if we added…a tire swing?" she asked. The chair began rocking gently back and forth, the sounds of a rope coming from concealed speakers. Computer generated fireflies danced across the background. The two turned and faced each other. Jim leaned in and kissed her on the lips softly and sweetly.

END FLASHBACK

Maddy returned home about two hours later, still well before her curfew time. She bade Mark farewell from the door and turned around to enter the house. She found her parents snuggled up, her dad fast asleep with his head leaning on her mother's.

"Wha…?" the girl was clearly confused.

"Shhh!" Elisabeth whispered. "Did you have a good time?"

Maddy nodded.

"Good," her mother smiled as she re-adjusted her head to fit in the crook of Jim's neck. 'Yes,' she thought to herself. 'They're definitely the way we were when we were young.'

**A/N: So? How was it? Unconventional, perhaps, but I thought it was sweet! (But then again, I wrote it!) REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! PRETTY PLEASE REVIEW! RoryFaller, I love you to pieces! Thank you for faithfully reviewing each chapter. Anyway, so yeah, like I said, leave a review and I'll update soon! Thanks, guys!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Love You Like a Love Song by Selena Gomez and the Scene. Follow this story so you can receive instant updates when I add a chapter! **


	6. Love you like a Love Song

**A/N: My writer's block has been cured! Thank the muses! Here is my promised update. I've gotten great response since I've had to practically beg it out of you guys! (Just kidding, I love you all!) I hope to gain more reviews, still, though, because reviews keep me going. Please make it meaningful though, because I use your reviews to determine which direction to go forward in. Big shoutouts to faithful reviewers RoryFaller, BeWhoYouAre99, MexiFBI95, and . You guys rock! So remember everyone else: your entry onto this elite list of awesome reviewers is just a review away! Oh and, don't want to ruin it for anyone but MARK LIVES! HUZZAH! See my celebratory story "Of Raspberries and Sudden Interruptions" if you want to celebrate his alive-ness. **

Chapter 6: Love you like a Love Song

Song: Love you like a Love Song

Artist: Selena Gomez

Summary: Maddy has a vivid dream of her beloved Mark…what will she find when she wakes up?

_It's been said and done. Every beautiful thought's been already sung. And I guess right now here's another one, so you're melody will play on and on with the best of them. You are beautiful—like a dream come alive, incredible, a centerfold miracle, lyrical. You saved my life again…_

She could feel his warm touch—his hands framing her cheeks. It was sweet, innocent, gentle, and she grinned against his lips. They were in a field—the field of dayflowers where he had taken her before the meteor impacted. The sun was high in the sky and the two were lounging lazily in its heat.

Maddy snuggled deeper into her bed sheets, a grin touching her face in her sleep, blissfully unaware that it was her subconscious displaying this image. She leaned against his shoulder—her own pillow in actuality—gazing at the flowers swaying gently in the breeze.

_I, I love you like a love song baby. I, I love you like a love song baby. I, I love you like a love song baby, and I keep hitting rep-pea-pea-pea-pea-pea-peat. _

Maddy awoke, disappointed to find herself in her own room, the moon still fully out. Zoe slept fitfully in the bed beside her own. She sighed, remembering the feeling of Mark stroking her cheek gently in her dream. Heaving out a deep breath, she lay back on the pillow and drifted off into sleep.

_Constantly, boy you play through my mind like a symphony. There's no way to describe what you do to me. You just do to me—what you do. And it feels like I've been rescued. I've been set free. I am hypnotized by your destiny. You are magical, lyrical, beautiful—you are…_

Maddy descended into the haziness of her dreams once more. This time they were at her house—just her and Mark. They were sitting on the couch, reading a novel on her plex. And suddenly he swept her up and kissed her. She let out a laugh as she could feel his lips on her neck, the plex falling gently onto the cushion as he held her in the center of the living room. She was certain the dream would have gone further, were it not for a small problem…

"Maddy?" Zoe whispered into her ear, startling the poor teenager out of her reverie.

"What's wrong, Zo?" she mumbled drowsily.

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"So go…" Maddy waved her off. It was still dark out.

"But I heard dinosaur noises outside. I'm scared to leave the room by myself." Maddy groaned as she dragged herself out of bed and accompanied her little sister to the bathroom across the hall, waiting outside patiently until she was done.

"Did you wash your hands?" she questioned.

"Yes," Zoe stated as if the fact were obvious.

"Good, let's go…" Maddy led Zoe by the wrist back to the bedroom, eyes half-shut. After ensuring the girl was tucked into her own bed, she returned to her rest.

Surprisingly, she found herself dreaming of a certain soldier once more. This time, she was with him OTG after dusk. She didn't know what they were doing—or had been doing—only that it was a frightening prospect. She clung to his arm fearfully and felt comfort in the strength she felt there. He was confident and that in turn made her confident. He gripped his gun in one hand, the other closed tightly around hers. Maddy rolled over in her sleep as she turned to face her boyfriend in her dream. His eyes scanned their surroundings before resting on her face. His face was illuminated by the moon, his blue eyes shining. He was leaning in to kiss her but a sudden scream woke her up.

Maddy sat up in bed, panic setting in as she turned to face Zoe. The girl was tossing and turning in her sleep, her frantic screams of "no" indicating the extent of her nightmare. Her parents came rushing in, Josh following close behind, flicking on the lights as he entered. They were all drowsy, but concerned as they comforted the fearful child.

It was a full forty-five minutes before the lights were turned out again, granting Maddy some opportunity to sleep. Thankfully, the following morning was a Saturday, granting her the luxury of sleeping in.

Mark arrived early the next morning, hoping to surprise Maddy with a good morning visit. He knocked on the door softly, lest he should wake anyone. In a bizarre twist, Dr. Shannon answered the door, which was fine by Mark—Mr. Shannon was an intimidating man, and he imagined he was more intimidating early in the morning.

Dr. Shannon's eyes lit up at the sight of the boy. "Mark! This is a pleasant surprise," she greeted cordially.

"Hi, Dr. Shannon. Is Maddy home?" he asked as politely and directly as he could.

"As a matter of fact, she's sleeping right now," she informed him.

"Oh. That's alright, I'll come back later…" 

"No, no! Stay!" Dr. Shannon beckoned for him to come inside. He did, and found Zoe seated at the dining room table drawing. Josh and Mr. Shannon were nowhere in sight. "Maddy's never a late sleeper—why don't you go in there and surprise her?" Dr. Shannon suggested, a small smile playing on her face. Mark looked hesitant.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure Jim doesn't do anything severe," she assured him, sensing his apprehension.

Slowly, Mark entered Maddy's room and gazed down at her. Her hair was mussed and she lay, skewed at an odd angle across her sheets. She was especially beautiful in the morning! He knelt by her bedside and leant down to whisper in her ear, inhaling the scent of her shampoo as he did.

"Maddy," he whispered.

Maddy had been dreaming of Mark for the fourth time that night. This dream was actually beginning to go somewhere when she felt a warm blast of air in her ear. "Maddy!" A pair of hands accompanied the whisper, touching her arm lightly.

"What?" she cried annoyed, swatting the hands away as she sat up in bed. She took in the sight before her. Mark was leaning back, his arms raised in surrender as he knelt by her bed. He looked mildly confused.

"I just stopped in to say good morning…"

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry, Mark! It was a long night and I was enjoying a dream and if I had known it was you…"

She was cut off by his lips, closing firmly around hers in greeting and forgiveness. He pulled back, a satisfied look on his face, a stunned expression on hers.

Mark chuckled a little. "I had to find some way to stop you from rambling…"

"That may just be the best way anyone's found yet!" she exclaimed, patting the empty space at the edge of her bed, indicating he should sit down. He complied.

"So," he said as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "What was this dream you were enjoying so much?"

Maddy blushed. "You'd think it was stupid…"

"Not anymore stupid than my lunar accounting story…"

She giggled, recalling the conversation they had had. "Well," she folded her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, a shy smile creeping across her face. "I was dreaming about you."

**A/N: And the readers go "awww!" (and then promptly leave a review!) I'm only pushing for reviews so much because they really help me determine what works and what doesn't. If you leave a review, please make it meaningful. What did you like? Dislike? What do you want to see these two doing (other than each other!)? Yes, the whole interrupted dream sequence was inspired by my other "Of Raspberries and Sudden Interruptions" story. I guess my muse likes this sort of thing? My Christmas break is coming up soon (this Thursday!) so expect more updates in the coming week-and-a-half. I'm super excited! **

**NEXT CHAPTER: A classic romance story of Mark and Maddy involving an innocent bench and two plexes. And the song "Falling For You" by Colbie Caillat. Follow this story for instant notifications about updates! **


	7. Falling for You

**A/N: My muse is hyperactive at the moment so I'll write that bench story now and give you something else to look forward too later on. Let me know what ya'll think of this one, it's a little different than the stories I've written so far. This is still early on in the couple's attraction to each other. (Long before the kiss in the tree or the make-out session in the woods…) Review it, por favor! **

Chapter 7: Falling For You

Song: Falling For You

Artist: Colbie Caillat

Summary: Mark Reynolds and Maddy Shannon are both attracted to each other, but too shy to say anything about it. What happens when they both happen to sit down on the same bench?

It was a bright, warm morning and Maddy Shannon was still getting accustomed to this whole 'sunshine' thing. She seated herself on a bench in the marketplace, her plex in hand, anxiously reading a book on scientific theories and scoffing at the one or two typos present. She was barely aware of the other person who seated himself on the opposite side of the bench.

Mark Reynolds was enjoying his morning off, having pulled up an action-packed novel on his plex. He seated himself on a bench in the marketplace, not really noticing who was beside him until he caught the long, dark hair in his peripheral vision. He glanced up briefly and saw her—the girl—Maddy! He had instructed her in survival training! She was oblivious to his presence and he took the opportunity to study her more closely. Her skin was a beautiful shade of olive and there was a definite hint of far Eastern features in her face. Her long, dark, wavy locks framed her face perfectly and her rich, brown eyes gleamed in the sun. Suddenly, she looked up and he quickly averted his eyes.

Maddy turned to look at the stranger who had seated himself beside her and was shocked to find a familiar face instead. It was the soldier—Reynolds, Mark Reynolds—who had taught her how to construct a fire! He had his face buried in his plex, evidently enjoying whatever he was reading. Seeing as he was distracted, she decided to examine him closer. He was wearing his military uniform but she could see his well-defined muscles beneath the padding. He had a handsome face and a square jaw. His dark hair was styled in a military crew cut and his eyes were the most intense shade of blue she had ever seen on a human being. A breeze picked up, distracting his attention. She quickly turned away and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as he looked up. She was silently praying he hadn't noticed her studying him so intently.

_I don't know but I think I may be falling for you, dropping so quickly. Maybe I should keep this to myself wait until I know you better. I am trying not to tell you, but I want to. I'm scared of what you'll say and so I'm hiding what I'm feeling but I'm tired of holding this inside my head… _

Mark thought he had seen her looking at him, but he couldn't be sure. And he certainly didn't want to say something—he hardly knew her! He could never cause her that much discomfort. He tried to refocus on his novel but he just couldn't. He glanced over at her again. He couldn't tell what she was reading but it was holding her attention very well. A frown of concentration graced her face and her lips moved silently with the words she read. There was something absolutely adorable about how intently she was reading. He glanced down at his own plex before she caught him staring at her.

Maddy waited until she was sure his attention was back on his novel before she stole another secret glance. This time, she noted his perfect posture and the way he focused on whatever it was he was reading. She also noted his tan skin. He had spent a lot of time outdoors, evidently. He exuded confidence and self-assurance, traits she herself lacked but admired. He was fascinating. Suddenly, he glanced in her direction. She couldn't look away fast enough and they locked eyes. He held her gaze for a few awkward moments before both looked away quickly, pretending to be engrossed in their respective literature. But Maddy smiled to herself when she noticed him scoot a little closer to her…

_I've been spending all my time just thinking 'bout you. I don't know what to do; I think I'm falling for you. I've been waiting my whole life and now I'm finding I don't know what to do; I think I'm falling for you…_

**A/N: And there you go! My attempt at a "love-at-first-sight moment" for the two of them! What did you think? Was it in character? Was it sweet? Tell me! Review please (and make it helpful—not just an 'I loved it, good job' review, please). I will love you to pieces if you do give me constructive feedback. Thanks!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: A trilogy: Mark leaving for an extended absence OTG, their reflections on it while alone, and his return, set to The Fray's "Don't Let Me Go," Judy Torres' "Faithfully" and Lady Antebellum's "I Run to You." Follow this story so you know when the next THREE go up! **


	8. Never Say Never

**A/N: Here it is guys! Part one of the trilogy. The other parts will be going up at the same time so you guys have some reading ahead of you…By the way I want to send shout outs to Glemonade mouth Maddy and Reynolds (all one word), whose name was in the last list of shoutouts, but for some reason it wouldn't publish…also a shout out to I'mInsaneAndIKnowIt and the usual suspects (RoryFaller, BeWhoYouAre99, and MexiFBI95) who always review my work for me. I love reviews! Okay, so here goes…**

Chapter 8: Never Say Never

Song: Never Say Never

Artist: The Fray

Summary: Mark's been selected to join a group heading for an outpost deep in the woods outside the colony. Maddy's less than thrilled with the prospect as they're forced to part ways for a few days…

Maddy stood by the Terra Nova gates, looking apprehensive as she observed the soldiers making their final equipment checks. Her boyfriend was among those performing these checks. This small team: Commander Taylor, Reilly, Dunham, Curran, and of course Mark would be heading out to an outpost deep in the woods of this mysterious, prehistoric Earth. They would have limited contact with the colony and they would be gone for several nights. She wasn't sure what she would do with herself.

Mark came toward her the minute his equipment check was done, resting his hands on her shoulders. They just looked at each other without exchanging words—the sadness clung heavily in the air as they prepared to part ways. She smiled slightly, but he knew it was a ploy so he wouldn't worry about her as much.

_Some things we don't talk about, would rather do without and just hold a smile. Falling in and out of love, ashamed and proud of—together all the while…_

"Mark," Maddy whispered, not meeting his eyes. "Please don't leave…" her voice was enough to break his heart.

"Maddy, I don't have a choice. I really wish I didn't have to leave but I've got orders…"

"But I need you here with me!" she pled.

"And I need you with me too," he told her, "but it's just not safe. I'll be fine."

"Then I'm coming with you!" Her voice carried firm conviction.

"Don't be crazy, Maddy, you know you can't come with me. Taylor wouldn't allow it and your father would kill me."

Her eyes were welling up. "What if…you don't come back…" she shut her eyes, letting the tears flow at the awful thought.

"Maddy," he lifted her chin so that their eyes could meet. "I will come back to you."

_You can never say never, while we don't know when. Time and time again, younger now than we were before…_

"When will you be back?"

"A few days, if all goes according to plan."

"I don't know if I can make it…"

Mark drew her close. "I have to leave soon…" Maddy embraced him tighter, as if her touch would prevent him from leaving. She sobbed gently into his chest as he rubbed her back to comfort her, a heavy sadness settling into him.

_Don't let me go, don't let me go, don't let me go. Don't let me go, don't let me go, don't let me go…_

Maddy drew her head back to look at his face, afraid she wouldn't see it again. He stroked her cheek gently and then leant in for a kiss, savoring this time with her as it would be a few days at least before he had the chance to do it again.

He pulled back again, sensing it was nearly time to go.

"Mark, promise me you'll come back in one piece."

"Maddy…"

"No!" she cried sharply. "I won't let you leave until you promise…"

Mark thought it over and then relented. "I promise you, Maddy Shannon, that I will come back to you."

_Picture, you're the queen of everything, far as the eye can see under your command. I will be your guardian, when all is crumbling, I'll steady your hand…_

Taylor's order rang out. "Prepare to move out!"

Maddy squeezed his waist, hoping that, by clinging to him, she could somehow convince him to defy orders and stay behind. He squeezed her back briefly but gently pushed her away, a tender but firm look in his eye.

_Don't let me go, don't let me go, don't let me go. Don't let me go, don't let me go, don't let me go._

"Maddy, I have to go now."

She couldn't control her sobbing now. "Please…be careful…"

"I will." He leant down and kissed her one last time before climbing aboard the transport. The gates rolled up and the vehicles rolled out. Maddy stared after them, still crying.

_We're pulling apart and coming together again and again. We're growing apart but we pull it together, pull it together again and again…_

The convoy disappeared from sight, but Maddy remained standing where she was, shielding her face as she wept and prayed for Mark's quick return…

**A/N: Working on the next two chapters as well, but I decide I'd post this on here for now. Don't worry, I like Mark too much to kill him off. He will return, just like he promised. (Geez, spoiler alert!) but it won't change how painful it is for both of them in the meantime. So, let me know what you liked about it or didn't like. I hope it felt real—I was trying to incorporate elements of the soldier's girl—seeing her loved one off to war. I also wanted to keep their actions as in-character as possible. I've received suggestions from some of you guys and I'll try to incorporate some of those. Thanks for reading! **


	9. Faithfully

**A/N: Okay, part two time! Hopefully some of you were anxiously awaiting this. Others will stumble upon this and wonder what you were missing…again, big shout out to all my reviewers—too many of them to list at this point, and that makes me happy to have that many reviewers. Enjoy this piece and hopefully you'll feel for both characters here.**

Chapter 9: Faithfully

Song: Faithfully (Valentin's Dance Edit)

Artist: Judy Torres

Summary: Mark is OTG on an extended assignment and he and Maddy are suffering from being apart…

_Highway run into the midnight sun. The wheels go round and roun, you're on my mind…_

They were a few hours into their journey to the isolated outpost. Mark was seated in the back of one of the transports, his sonic rifle lying lengthwise across his lap. Reilly sat opposite him, but aside from the occasional glance, they hardly acknowledged one another. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts. He was missing Maddy already, and he wasn't sure how he would be able to make it through the next few days. His mind kept replaying the last hug, the last kiss, his promise to come back. It would kill him, quite literally, to shatter that promise.

Maddy lay at the edge of her bed, tracing circles into the sheets as she wondered what Mark was doing. She had checked in at the command center every hour, on the hour, but the transport had since dropped off from radar. The early evening hours were setting in and she was worried sick about what would happen to her boyfriend out in the jungle. It was always scarier, after all, to be left behind, waiting…

_Restless hearts sleep alone tonight. I'm sending all my love along the wire…_

It was past sundown when the convoy finally reached its destination. The outpost was rarely occupied but there were heavy repairs that needed to be done to it. The small team quickly settled into the remote building that would be "home" for several days. With night already fallen, there was little that could be done that night. Taylor bid them good night and told them to rest up.

Mark settled into his cot, in the same room as Dunham, who was out like a light the second his head hit the pillow. But Mark couldn't sleep. His mind was too preoccupied. He wondered how Maddy was. What she was doing. Was she thinking of him? He would have done nearly anything just to hear her voice. They usually parted ways with a kiss and a "good night," knowing full well that they'd see each other again the next morning. He wasn't sure how he could possibly sleep without that simple exchange. Mark Reynolds was homesick.

Maddy pushed the food around on her plate, her appetite absent. Her mother eyed her worriedly.

"Maddy? What's wrong?"

"She's been like this all day," Josh spoke up. "She misses Mark."

Her mother's expression changed from concern to empathy. "Hey," her voice was compassionate and soothing. She glanced over at Jim. "Maddy? You know he's coming home, don't you?"

A tear fell from Maddy's eyes into her salad. She nodded.

"He'll be here in a few days time," her mother continued. "It used to be like this whenever your father was away on undercover assignments. I used to worry about him all the time." Maddy continued to look at her dinner, stirring it around but not eating any of it.

"I…think I'm going to go to bed if it's all the same to you guys." She got up and went to her room before she could receive a response. Flopping down on the bed, she glanced around. Everything seemed so much colder and drearier when she knew she couldn't speak to him. She let out a melancholy sigh. She was craving her good night kiss.

It was nearly three in the morning and Mark was still awake. He was flipping through the photos he had uploaded to his tags. There was one with his friends from the unit, a few of some wildlife he had spotted, but his favorites were the ones with Maddy in them. Most were couple photos—the two of them in the field of dayflowers, both of them in the marketplace, in the square, at the waterfalls…the last image was a photo of Maddy, alone. She was leaning forward on one of the benches, a wide grin on her face. He smiled at her.

"Good night," he whispered to the picture, lying back and trying to get some sleep.

The next morning found him and the others up extra early as they set about upgrading and repairing the outpost. The equipment had fallen victim to some intrepid slashers. Thankfully, no one had been present when the attack had occurred.

Maddy wandered around the square, hopelessly pacing and waiting to hear some word from the convoy. She frequently checked in with command, only to be informed that there was still no word from them.

It was midday before Mark had the opportunity to take a break. His idle mind wandered back to his beloved at home. He could picture her now: pacing, worrying, hopefully not crying. It killed him to be apart from her like this, but he had a duty to uphold too.

_They say that the road ain't no place to start a family. Right down the line it's been you and me. And loving somebody like me ain't always what it's supposed to be. But you, you stand by me. I'm forever yours…faithfully… _

In the early evening, Maddy returned to the command center and politely asked the desk sergeant if any news had come up. He told her that communications had been restored. She looked elated.

"Could I maybe talk to Mark?" she asked him hopefully. He offered up the control console to her without protest. She pushed the button that established contact with the outpost. "Terra Nova to outpost, Terra Nova to outpost. Can you hear me?"

There was some static and then an ecstatic cry. "Maddy? Is that you?"

"Mark!"

"Oh my God I miss you so much!"

She broke into a wide smile. "I missed you too! How are you? Are you guys okay? You aren't hurt right? Is Taylor giving you time to eat? How are the repairs coming?" The questions poured from her like a river.

Mark chuckled audibly. "I'm fine, Maddy. Don't worry."

She let out a shy laugh. "I know…I just worry about you…"

"I worry about you too, Maddy. How are you holding up?"

"Okay, I guess. I just can't wait until you're safe at home."

"We're all looking forward to that," Mark replied.

Maddy heard some chatter in the background, followed by Mark's voice. "Maddy? Commander Taylor needs my help. I've got to go!"

"Wait! Mark!" she cried out desperately.

"Yeah?" he responded after a brief delay.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Good night," she added after recalling the previous night.

There was another brief pause. "Good night, Maddy. I'll see you in a few days."

"See you…" she replied quietly as the transmission ended. Both she and Mark were able to sleep well that night.

**A/N: So, how was this? Separation anxiety much? But I hope you liked it! Next chapter is his triumphant return! And like I said, I could never kill Mark off (or Maddy for that matter). I just love these two too much. Hope that didn't spoil it for you guys…**


	10. I Run to You

**A/N: Woohoo! This is the 10th update to this story! And here we see Mark's triumphant return to Terra Nova after several days OTG in which he was miserably homesick and Maddy was stressed out. There was a change in plans: this was originally going to be set to Lady Gaga's "You and I" but after reviewing the lyrics I determined it just wasn't appropriate for the story. So I changed the song to Lady Antebellum's "I Run to You." I hope you don't mind! This one's short because it's late, I'm tired, and really I just want to capture that one elated moment when your loved one returns home safe to you. Oh and I'm assuming one can take and send/receive pictures on a plex…**

Chapter 10: I Run to You

Song: I Run to You

Artist: Lady Antebellum

Summary: Mark returns home after four days away from Maddy…

Maddy waited anxiously by the gate, several others milling about around her, all awaiting the arrival of the convoy. Most of them just wanted to welcome their neighbors and friends home, but she was only looking for one person—Mark Reynolds. It had been four long, grueling days without him. They had spoken briefly each night (except the first), always sure to bid each other good night before hanging up. He had even managed to send her an image on her plex. He was blowing her a good night kiss.

Mark had helped load the convoy up early in the morning. They had wanted to leave at daybreak in order to be home at around noon. He sat in the back of one of the rovers, his heart pounding excitedly at the prospect of seeing Maddy again.

"I can't wait to get home and sleep in my own bed!" Dunham exulted.

"I just want to be able to take a shower in some warm water…" Reilly grumbled, shooting Dunham a look.

"How 'bout you, Reynolds? What can't you wait for?" Dunham asked, fairly certain he knew the answer already.

"I just can't wait to see my Maddy," he grinned just thinking about it.

The convoy trundled through the gates at just past noon, after several long hours of traveling. Mark scanned the crowd, immediately spotting the object of his affection. She was standing in the middle of the group, craning her neck to get a better view of the vehicles that had just entered the colony. He picked up his duffle bag and quickly leapt out of the rover.

_This world keeps spinning faster, into a new disaster so I run to you, I run to you baby. When it all starts coming undone, baby you're the only one I run to. I run to you. _

Maddy spotted him and immediately came running. He dropped his bag and opened his arms, throwing them around her as he lifted her off the ground in a tender embrace, her feet dangling in the air.

He kissed her cheek, inhaling the familiar scent of her hair. "I missed you so much," he murmured into her ear.

"I missed you too," she replied, burying her face into his neck. Her eyes were tearing up again, in joy this time. Mark set her down on the ground and she smiled at him. He looked a little unkempt and he needed a shave, but she was so glad to have him home. "You kept your promise," she informed him.

"And what promise was that?" he asked her.

"You came back to me," she told him, throwing her arms around his neck.

He touched his nose to hers. "I'll always come back to you, Maddy Shannon. One way or another."

_This world keeps spinning faster, into a new disaster so I run to you. I run to you baby. When it all starts coming undone, baby you're the only one I run to. I run to you. _

**A/N: I picked this song more for the way it sounds—it's a love song with an upbeat tempo—than I did for the lyrics, so I just used the chorus for this one. Sorry it was so short and not as great as I wanted it to be. I'm just really tired right now but I felt I owed you the rest of the story before heading off to bed. My Christmas break starts tomorrow afternoon though, so I'll be updating and adding new stories throughout the course of my days off. That concludes this little mini-trilogy. Hope you enjoyed!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Can't Find the Words by Karina (She's a great artist if you haven't heard of her before—I advise you look her up.) Make sure you follow this story so you know when it goes up! Thanks to all of you! **


	11. Secrets

**A/N: Okay so I also got this songfic chapter done. I know I said in my teaser that the song for this chapter would be "Can't Find the Words" but my muse had a better idea. For that reason, I have changed the song to "Secrets" by OneRepublic. This is set during the excursion to the dayflower field during Nightfall. Enjoy!**

Chapter 11: Secrets

Song: Secrets

Artist: OneRepublic

Summary: How did the lunar accounting story even come up, anyway?

The two had been sitting in the meadow for nearly half an hour now, talking about whatever topic happened to come up. It had started as small talk but deviated into secret sharing and wistful dreaming.

_I need another story, something to get off my chest. My life gets kind of boring, need something that I can confess. Til all my sleeves are stained red with all the truths that I've said, come by it honestly I swear—thought you saw me wink, no, I've been on the brink so…_

"So what do you do in the security forces anyway?" Maddy asked, taking a swig of water from her canteen.

Mark shrugged. "The usual. Break up fights, shoot dinosaurs, drive supply trucks, have tense standoffs with Sixers…"

"Sweep girls off their feet," Maddy added.

He grinned. "That too. So what do you do during your internships at the lab?" he asked.

"The usual," she mimicked him. "Collect plant samples, reconstruct DNA strands, wrestle with fifty-foot reptilian test subjects…"

"Charm soldiers," he finished for her. She laughed. "I think it's great, Maddy, that you can do these things because other than wrestling with lizards I have no idea what any of that even means." She blushed. He loved it when she blushed. "How did you get into science anyway?"

She swallowed and spoke. "My mom. I used to accompany her to the hospital sometimes and watch her examine patients on the bio-bed screens. Plus I got really good science grades in school."

There was a pause as this information set in. Then she spoke again. "So how did you find your way into the security forces anyway?"

"Long story," he responded.

She glanced up at the crystal clear sky. "Eh, we've got time."

"Well…" he began. "I lived with my granddad when I was growing up. Granddad was pretty sick and I wasn't entirely healthy all the time either."

Maddy snorted. "I know exactly how you feel."

"Right. So he entered the lottery to come to Terra Nova and he won…" his voice trailed off as his memories came flooding back.

"He didn't make it?" she asked, putting two and two together.

He nodded and sighed. "Yep. Granddad passed two months before the pilgrimage, but before he died he insisted that I go anyway. So I did."

"That still doesn't explain…"

"I'm getting to that, hold on!" he grinned at her curiosity. "So I got here and Commander Taylor sized me up on the first day and he told me 'son, you look like you'd make a mighty good soldier,' and I took him up on his offer."

Maddy let the information digest. "So you never wanted to be a soldier before?"

Mark gave the question some thought before responding. "No, actually, I didn't."

Maddy took another sip of water. "So what did you want to be?" she asked innocently.

Mark shook his head. "You'd think it's stupid…"

"Oh come on! Tell me!"

"No it's…nothing…"

"Please?" she whined, dragging out the word.

"Fine, fine," he gave in. "When I was little I wanted to be an accountant on the moon…"

Maddy stifled a laugh as she waited for him to continue. "I used to take my granddad's Rebreather…"

"Like those really clunky old ones?" she asked, the humor evident on her face.

"Yep," he replied, his lips tweaked in a half-smile. "And I used to go under the dining table with my calculator and pretend I was on the moon…"

"Adding things?" she asked, this time unable to contain her giggling.

He shook his head again, glancing down. "It was a stupid story."

"No, I liked it!" she told him, still laughing.

"No I shouldn't have said anything…"

"No, come on, I'm an idiot!" she said, sitting back, a smile still plastered on her face.

"No you're not, you're…perfect…" he spoke the last word softly, still not looking directly at her.

Her head cocked to one side. "What did you say?" The smile had given way to a look of uncertainty.

"I said…you're perfect…"

_Tell me what you want to hear, something that was like those years. I'm sick of all the insincere, so I'm gonna give all my secrets away…_

**A/N: And that's the best way I could come up with to explain exactly how these two ended up talking about lunar accounting! God I'm glad they did though. It was an awesome couple moment. So please review, please, please, please review! **

**And here are some previews of songs I'll be using in the coming chapters:**

**-We'll Be a Dream—We the Kings feat. Demi Lovato**

**-Just a Kiss—Lady Antebellum**

**-Lucky—Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat**

**-Million Kisses—Romance on a Rocketship**

**-Teenage Dream—Katy Perry**

**-Alone—Kim Sozzi (Valentin's Radio Edit)**

**-I'm Yours—Jason Mraz**

**-Can't Find the Words—Karina **

**And perhaps more! I need ideas here, so please give them to me! There's no particular order in which I'll write these so if you like one of these songs, do let me know and I'll get those chapters up first! So, no real direction here, I'm going forward spontaneously. Hope it goes well! And again, REVIEW! Gracias! **


	12. Just a Kiss

**A/N: Here's the promised songfic update. I said I would be continuing on with these spontaneously—no plan in motion. The first song that came to mind when I sat down to write this was "Just a Kiss" (it was on the list of songs I published last chapter) and I had this idea so I just put two and two together. Hope you'll enjoy and review! No beta (I don't have betas very often) so any and all mistakes are mine and mine alone. This is set, again, relatively early on in their relationship. Also: I've got a series of Mark/Maddy married fics up now. Please go over and check that out too—I'm craving reviews! Anyway, moving on…**

Chapter 12: Just a Kiss

Song: Just a Kiss

Artist: Lady Antebellum

Summary: Mark and Maddy, lying in the hammock, content to just be in each other's arms…okay that was a bad summary. Just start reading!

Maddy was lying in Mark's arms in the hammock they had set up just off her family's porch. His gentle, even breathing and the steady rise and fall of his chest soothed her as he stroked her hair. The hammock was rocking gently, influenced by the breezy night air. The lights of the house were behind them, illuminating their shadows on the ground. She knew her father was probably hovering by the window but not even that could ruin this perfect moment. Neither of them was saying anything, but it was somehow still very intimate. Just having him close was comforting for her. Back in 2149 she had watched her peers rush headfirst into relationships, only to be disappointed several days later when it inevitably ended. She didn't want that to happen to them, and so she was happy that he was content to take things slow.

_Lying here with you so close to me, it's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe. I'm caught up in this moment, caught up in your smile…_

Mark held Maddy close to him, keeping her warm as they reclined on the hammock. It all felt so…comfortable. Mark had never met a girl that made him feel this way before. There was something real about Maddy that he had never found in anyone else. He reveled in the feeling of her lying in his arms, the silky smoothness of her hair as he ran his fingers through it, the look of peaceful bliss on her face as she stared up at the stars—she could probably name each one. He had never felt this much love for another person before, which was precisely why he was taking things slow. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her away and lose the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.

_I've never opened up to anyone. So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms. We don't need to rush this, let's just take it slow…_

They were distracted suddenly by the door opening behind them.

"Maddy!" It was Mr. Shannon calling. "Maddy, time to come inside." He sounded like he was instructing a young child. Maddy sighed, not wanting to leave her comfortable position. Mark gently sat up, sliding out from under her and offering her his hand to stabilize herself as she climbed off the hammock.

She grabbed his other hand as she stood up, pulling him a little closer to her. "Thanks," she murmured, unsure of what to say.

He smiled lightly. "It was nothing…"

"No…" she interrupted him. "It was amazing." And then, on impulse, she stood on her tiptoes and stole a light kiss on his lips. Pulling back, she averted her eyes, running a hand through her hair. "Good night," she practically whispered, looking at his somewhat surprised face.

"Good night," he responded, a twinkle in his eye as he said it. He watched her go up the steps and into her house, smiling. He could count the times they had kissed on one hand, but this was by far one of the most special.

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight, just a touch of the fire burning so bright. I don't want to mess this thing up, I don't want to push too far. Just a shot in the dark that you just might be the one I've been waiting for my whole life, so baby I'm alright with just a kiss good night. _

**A/N: I must say it feels good to update! I was worried I had left the songfics sitting for too long. So please leave me a review and I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner. Again, don't forget to check out my Mark/Maddy married fics too! I've got an update for that as well. Thanks everyone! **


	13. Perfect

**A/N: Another chapter? Yes! I was feeling inspired today, so I deviated from my original plan to just update one story. I have a feeling you guys won't mind…This one is set right after the events of "Nightfall." It's amazing how that one moment of him telling her she's perfect can lead to so much more! Anyway, don't forget to drop a review! I'm at FIFTY reviews on this story so far and I'm so grateful to all of you! You guys rock! **

Chapter 13: Perfect

Song: Perfect

Artist: P!nk

Summary: All her life, Maddy Shannon's been told she wasn't good enough. And she's been waiting for someone to tell her otherwise…

_Made a wrong turn once or twice. Dug my way out, blood and fire. Bad decisions, that's alright. Welcome to my silly life…_

Until that moment, they had only been making small talk—how he had ended up in the security forces, how she had become interested in science. It wasn't really anything substantial until he had brought up that story about accounting on the moon. While she was laughing uncontrollably, he had blurted out something to her. Even if he wasn't aware of it, he had just changed her life.

_Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood, Miss No-Way-It's-All-Good, it didn't slow me down. Mistaken, always second guessing, underestimated, look I'm still around…_

Back in 2149, people only knew her as a brainiac. Someone they could cheat off of easily. After several times of daring to get her hopes up that she had met a true friend, she had come to realize she would never be considered anything more than a means of passing.

"She's so awkward…." "Go ask her to loan you her homework. She has no friends anyway…" "I dare you to leave a love note in that girl's locker…" "She doesn't have a life—she's always studying…" "I get dibs on the seat next to the smart girl!"

She was practically invisible. She heard them talking about her like that, but she would never say anything. Each word would hurt her; make her even more reserved and shy. She knew they would destroy her if she showed any emotion, and in her desperation to impress someone—anyone—she would happily loan out her homework. But they were all the same—they would use her then ditch her, moving on to the people who actually mattered. Each time, she would shake it off, keep her head up, smile. It was a defense mechanism for her, to pretend that she wasn't hurt. She didn't want to provide anything else for them to talk about, nor did she want to face the torment they would deal out to her if she dared to speak up.

_Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel like you're less than—less than perfect. Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me…_

When she had come through the portal she wasn't expecting things to be any different. A new life would be wonderful, but she knew that in time people would figure her out and then the cycle would start all over again. She had vowed not to get close to anyone outside her family for fear of being burned. And then he had looked at her.

There was something about Mark that threw her. His soft, blue eyes that reflected his kind nature; the way his lips would upturn in a loving smile whenever she rambled on about something he could barely understand. Maybe it was just the way he sat and listened to what she had to say, and actually cared. The way he would hold her hand and reassure her when she was feeling insecure. There was definitely something different about Mark Reynolds, and so she had agreed to go out to the field with him in the hopes that she may find, at the very least, a good friend.

She would forever be grateful that she had made that choice. Because amid all of the chattering they had done, he had uttered a simple phrase with such sincerity that she had been genuinely stunned.

"You're perfect…"

They were words she had never heard spoken to her before by anyone outside her immediate family. She had always heard gossip, hurtful things directed toward her. She had heard the snickering and the taunting. And now, out of the blue, this amazing, gentle, thoughtful soldier had come and swept her off her feet and spoken two magic words—and for the first time ever, Maddy Shannon truly believed she was more than just a brainiac. Because someone truly thought she was perfect…

**A/N: We already know she was not treated so greatly by her peers in 2149, so I could only imagine the impact his words would have on her—the only positive thing a guy has ever said to her! It had to have been magical. Which is why this scene is one of my absolute favorites involving these two. Please review—tons more updates to all of my series coming up, especially in the New Year! **


	14. Lucky

**A/N: Just had to push some last minute updates out before the New Year. I've got lots of things planned for 2012 (and Apocalypse is NOT among them!) so stick around guys! Happy New Year, everyone! I hope this year brings you all great success, happiness, and a lot of inspiration! So for this chapter, I've decided to explore what it must have been like for Mark and Maddy to be apart during the episodes Occupation/Resistance. They must have been so worried for one another. And I've set this to the song "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. Hope you enjoy it and review it! **

Chapter 14: Lucky

Song: Lucky

Artists: Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat

Summary: Those days apart were not easy for Mark and Maddy…

_Do you hear me? I'm talking to you across the water, across the deep blue ocean under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying…_

Mark stared directly ahead of him, eyes searching slowly for movement in the vicinity of the trench he was hiding in. They had been staking this same point out for two days already without yielding results. He was hoping, wishing for someone to come along—a familiar face. He was praying it would be Maddy, but he knew it would probably be a soldier from the colony if anyone. His mind began to wander.

What was Maddy doing right now? Was she alright? Was she in hiding with her family? What if they had taken everyone in the colony prisoner? Was she hurt in the fighting? What if…

He immediately shook the thought from his head. If he had made it out of the bombing alive, she definitely had to have made it out of the fighting. The most recent intelligence reports had stated that Lieutenant Washington had surrendered the colony—the right move given the lives at stake. Apparently the citizens were at least semi-free to move about under surveillance. He was far more at risk out here than Maddy was in there, he decided, shifting his gun as he remained hidden in the burrow.

"Maddy…" he thought, fighting the urge to speak the words out loud. "Maddy I'm here. I'm fine. I'm waiting for you…"

_Boy I hear you in my dreams. I feel your whisper across the sea. I keep you with me in my heart. You make it easier when life gets hard…_

Maddy entered the house just as the search lights came on. Physically and mentally exhausted, she flopped down on her bed, closing her eyes and wanting to forget the chaos around her. Everything at home had a gloomy air of resignation about it. Her mother still wasn't home. She was being forced to help heal the men who had come in, guns blazing, and torn apart their colony—their home. With her father still in a coma, things were very bleak. Zoe was fearful, scarcely leaving the room they shared—she was curled up sleeping at the moment. Josh was still grieving. He spent hours cooped up in his room, strumming on his guitar to take away the pain. The melancholy tune reached her ears as she lay still in the darkness. She was the only one still trying to function normally—someone had to provide basic care for the family. But even she had moments of doubt. They were usually about Mark…

She hadn't been told much about the explosion that had un-tethered the time fracture—only that Mark had not been brought back among the dead or injured. This had to mean he had made it out of there and was probably in hiding. This gave her hope. Of course, with the military unit's whereabouts unknown, anything could have happened over the course of the last two days. She willed herself to think positive things—he was safe, waiting for the opportunity to strike back and get her and her family out of there. He might be thinking about her right now, even, planning to sneak back into Terra Nova to be with her. But her mind slowly slipped into darker imaginings. He had been injured in the explosion and was vulnerable, lying in pain in some makeshift camp, slowly bleeding out without anyone to help him. He had been shot by one of the invaders and lay alone, missing, somewhere in the wilderness. He was…

A tear hit the pillow as she buried her face in it. There was no way…he had told her he loved her. He had promised never to let anything happen to her. She needed him now. There was no way…

Maddy drifted into an uneasy sleep. Mark came to her in a dream—more like a vision. "Maddy," he whispered to her in her sleep. "Maddy I'm here. I'm fine. I'm waiting for you…" She awoke with a renewed spirit. Surely he had to be fine. She had read somewhere that people with really close bonds could sometimes detect one another's thoughts—sort of like telepathy. Twins had it quite often—surely two people as close to each other as they were had it too? He was fine. He was coming home to her.

_I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend, lucky to have been where I have been, lucky to be coming home again…_

Mark awoke with a start as daylight streamed onto his face. He had returned to camp that night after a long day of disappointment. No one had gotten the message in the bullets yet. But he held out hope that someone would. Maybe even Dr. Shannon! Perhaps he would be reunited with Maddy soon…

Maddy set about her day as routinely as she could. Make the bed, make breakfast, clean something…keep busy. But no matter how hard she tried to focus she couldn't help but think back to the dream she had of Mark. She hoped this whole telepathy thing was true. She kept replaying their last kiss. His words to her. She knew he was coming home. He had to be. He couldn't just say he loved her and then never come back. She told herself this over and over, hoping that she could make him materialize in front of her with just hope alone.

_They don't know how long it takes, waiting for a love like this. Every time we say goodbye I wish we had one more kiss. I'll wait for you. I promise you, I will…_

It was the third day of sentry duty for Mark. It wasn't getting any easier. He was getting anxious. What if intel had been wrong? What if they had moved all the colonists off? Or worse? Surely someone would have gotten the message by now. Some part of him entertained the notion that it would be Maddy. She was resourceful—she would figure out the Commander's code. But realistically she wouldn't have access to the wounded. If anyone was going to figure out the code it would be Dr. Shannon. But what were the odds that she would examine the bullets she pulled from these Phoenix soldiers' bodies?

It would be several more days before Mr. Shannon would stumble into the rendezvous point. Mark breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the sheriff approach. He could have hugged him! If Mr. Shannon was here, than the rest of the Shannon family had to be alright, too! His first question to him was if Maddy was okay. It was such a relief to hear she was. The rest of the plan came easily, and if it went off without a hitch then they would soon be together again.

Maddy, too, had been relieved to hear that Mark was okay. A huge weight was lifted off her the second her father had come through the door, playing dumb, with an armed "escort." Her first question had been about her favorite soldier and her father had told her, quite happily, that he was alive and in good health. It was only a matter of time before he came home to her…

_I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend, lucky to have been where I have been, lucky to be coming home again. Lucky we're in love in every way, lucky to have stayed where I have stayed, lucky to be coming home someday…_

It was several days more before the reunion occurred, and it occurred under heavy circumstances. Maddy had heard Alicia Washington die—die to save her and her family. The ride to the camp took all night and the reunion was bittersweet. She was in Mark's arms again, but she would be minus one friend—a friend who had given herself up to allow Maddy that moment with her boyfriend.

She had leapt from the rhino the second it had stopped, searching through the faces at the camp desperately, hoping to find him. She had been dismayed when Reilly had told her Mark was on sentry duty. Reilly, in her kindness, instructed Dunham to take over Mark's shift. Maddy was eternally grateful. She spent all afternoon in Mark's arms, catching up in between kisses and hugs. She didn't care that anyone could have stumbled upon them. They were together after so many days apart, and even if they weren't in the colony, they were home…

**A/N: This was a little muse that's been wandering aimlessly in my head for a few days screaming "let me out!" So I did! Probably not the best I've ever written but I hoped you like it. This is one of my favorite songs for this couple and I couldn't think of a more appropriate scene to use it in. Please leave a review and HAPPY NEW YEAR! **


	15. Teenage Dream

**A/N: First update of the New Year! Woot! I just HAD to make it a songfic for you guys! Happy New Year, everyone! An update for "I Will Find You" should be up in the next two days, as well, so keep an eye out. And a second chapter for "In His Footsteps" creeps along. I can't bear to write that story for too long at a time or my mood just plummets. But since you guys seem to like the idea that one's moving along too. But for now, let's just enjoy this chapter, yes? Please review! I've gotten over fifty already and I would LOVE to get this to a hundred reviews—which is doable, I think, since I have around twenty-five chapters planned (this one being number fifteen!) So let's go! **

Chapter 15: Teenage Dream

Song: Teenage Dream

Artist: Katy Perry

Summary: Maddy reflects on Mark after she goes through the photos on his tags, which he's accidentally left behind at her house…

_You think I'm pretty without any makeup on, you think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong, I know you get me so I'll let my walls come down, down…_

Maddy held the tags in her hand, fingering the button that would activate the projector and show her his entire history. She really wanted to see what secrets the device held—she had heard that soldiers often hacked their tags and uploaded photos and music to them—but there was something holding her back. These were private, and he had left them there by accident that night. He was no doubt looking for them, and it would only be a matter of time before he retraced his steps and came to pick them up. She didn't want to invade his privacy but still…

"What the heck," she thought, pushing the button. Goosebumps formed on her arms as she delved into Mark's past—more than he had ever told her before. He had broken a rib shortly after arriving, and he had broken his arm in a street fight in 2145. She couldn't see him starting something, so he must have been defending himself. The most recent entry was from 2148, a full year before she arrived. He had come down with pneumonia then, and he had been out of service for nearly a month.

She flipped past the medical history and found his military info. There was a picture of him, smiling in his fatigues. Underneath was his name: Mark Reynolds. Apparently his middle name was Ethan. His height, eye color (blue!), hair color, and other basic information were also written below. His birthday was November 6, 2131 and his mother's name had been Helen Reynolds. There was no name listed under "father."

Flipping past that, she found the first photograph imported to the tiny memory drive. It took her aback. There was a young boy—very similar looking to Mark—sitting, smiling on an older man's lap. The old man looked a little ill and frail, but he too was smiling for the camera. It must have been Mark and his grandfather! The next image was a blurry photograph of a woman, smiling. She had the same eyes as Mark—his mother! After that was a series of nature shots dated around the time he had come through the portal. Most of them were exotic flowers—she could name each species—and a few dinosaurs.

Following the nature shots were several photos with his unit, dated in the early months of 2149, just before her arrival. There were shots of him and Dunham, goofily posing for the camera, some pictures of him and Lieutenant Washington, one of him and the soldier Foster, and a picture of him, alone, striking a "king of the world" pose atop a rover. She smiled and shook her head at the silliness of it all.

She flipped to the next one and was startled to find an image of herself, smiling. She remembered that day! He had run into her in the marketplace and they had chatted briefly—she couldn't remember what about. He had asked her to pose for a shot, which she had done happily. The photo had been uploaded fairly recently.

_Before you met me, I was alright but things were kind of heavy, you brought me to life now every February you'll be my Valentine, Valentine…_

The next image was again of her, sitting in the field of dayflowers. It had been taken just minutes before the EMP burst had wiped out all the electronic devices. There was a second shot of the two of them, together in the same field. She smiled inwardly at the thought of Mark keeping her with him wherever he went.

Another photo, this one of the two of them together, Zoe in between. Dunham had taken that photo. And yet another, at the Harvest Festival. She wasn't sure who had taken the photo, but it depicted her and Mark dancing. Moving on, she found a photo of the two of them in the apple orchards, followed by an image of her biting into her first apple. It was like he kept their entire story on his tags! She was touched. The last photo she found was a solo shot of her, leaning forward on a bench in the market, a big grin on her face and the sun illuminating her features.

Maddy shut the projector off and set the tags down on the table. She was glowing with happiness. A knock at the door announced a visitor. Answering, she found Mark standing on the porch.

"Hey!" he greeted. "Did I leave my tags here…?"

"Yeah, yeah!" she smiled, turning to retrieve them. She handed the small device back to him and then, seemingly without reason, she threw her arms around him and gave him a hug, planting a kiss on his cheek. He seemed a little surprised, but hugged her back just as tightly.

"What did I do to deserve this?" he asked, a smile spreading across his face as she didn't let go.

"You're…you…" she told him, as if it explained everything.

_You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream, the way you turn me on. I can't sleep, let's run away and don't ever look back, don't ever look back. My heart stops when you look at me, just one touch now baby I believe this is real, let's run away and don't ever look back, don't ever look back…_

**A/N: So there it is! This is personally, one of my favorite songs for these two. I mean, c'mon, their whole relationship is a teenage dream! So leave a review and I'll have more stuff for you in the next few days. My break is just about over, but I should still update fairly regularly, so don't worry! Thank you everyone and, again, Happy New Year! PS: Totally took the liberty of giving him a middle name...  
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	16. I'll Stand by You

**A/N: To escape writer's block on my story "I Will Find You" (any help or fresh plotlines for that would be appreciated) I've decided to update my songfic stories again. I want to take the time to thank ElisaP91, who is currently working on translating these stories into Italian! I am very excited that a whole new audience can read and review my stories! Also, a concern has come up regarding chronological order of these stories. There isn't any real order to these, I'm just writing to the song lyrics. I will, however, try to maintain a more progressive storyline from here on out (or make it so ambiguous it won't really matter when it takes place…). Anyway, hope you don't mind waiting for updates on my other story, and I certainly hope you'll read and review this chapter. Thank you!**

Chapter 16 (Yes! Sixteen chapters already!): I'll Stand by You

Song: I'll Stand by You

Artist: The Pretenders

Summary: A reverse on a classic theme—Mark needs to check on Maddy to reassure himself she's alright after a vivid nightmare…

"Run, Maddy!" he half-ordered her, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the blazing jungle. There was fire everywhere and they left the smoking remnants of the colony behind them, fleeing on a path that led to safety. Her hand clasped tightly around his and she was gasping, crying hysterically. She kept repeating her family members' names as they fled. In the distance, he could hear the awful rumble of the tanks, closing in on them. Another explosion shook the ground as a new column of flame surged into the sky. He knew they were reaching the safe point when suddenly she cried out. He felt her weight drop, her knees buckling. Turning around, he gasped and saw a pool of crimson gathering at the front of her shirt, her eyes widening and her pupils dilating. The color drained from her face and a heart-wrenching sob choked past her opened lips…

Mark awoke with a start, his heart racing and a sheet of perspiration on his forehead. He was practically gasping for breath as he sat up, checking his surroundings and determining he was in his quarters, in his own bed, safe. The dream—no, nightmare—had been vivid, but it wasn't his own safety that he feared for. It was hers.

These nightmares had been occurring more and more frequently since the invasion and the Phoenix Group's subsequent retreat. He had told Dr. Shannon about them once before and she had informed him how many soldiers who had been through trying events suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. She had assured him that it was common and that, with some anxiety medications and some time, the symptoms would subside.

That had been over a week ago and his symptoms still hadn't improved. He lay back in bed, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling and trying to fall back asleep. But something was gnawing at him. The nightmares almost always involved him and Maddy, and they almost always ended with him being unable to protect her from some danger. He was unable to rest, unlike most times. Finally unable to fight the urge any longer, he got out of bed and donned his fatigues, determined to check on her and make sure she was okay. Maybe then he would have some peace of mind.

The air was chilly at two AM, and walked through the empty colony briskly. He found his way to her house almost instinctively, quietly approaching the side of the house where her and Zoe's bedroom was. Feeling foolish, he reconsidered and was about ready to turn around, but he had to know she was okay. He tiptoed to the window and rapped lightly on it, hoping that he hadn't woken anyone else up. He heard motion in the bedroom and then saw a shadow. He took a step back as the window opened slowly and her head poked out.

She looked at him behind half-closed eyes. "Mark?" she asked, wondering if she was hallucinating. She rubbed her eyes and, when he didn't disappear, she nearly panicked. "Mark?" she hissed. "What's wrong?"

He was so relieved to see her, even in this tired, confused state. He approached the window, careful not to make too much noise. "I just…you'd think it's stupid…"

Even in her half-awake state, Maddy could tell when something was troubling him. She put her hands on her hips and gave him an incredulous look, rendered slightly comical by her drowsy expression.

_Hey, why you look so sad? Tears are in your eyes, come on and talk to me now. Don't be ashamed to cry, let me see you through, 'cause I've seen a dark side too. When the night falls on you, and you don't know what to do nothing you confess could make me love you less. I'll stand by you…_

"I just…had to see you…make sure you were okay…" he stammered, still reluctant to admit the truth.

She saw right through his bravado. "Mark Reynolds, there is something on your mind. Now tell me what," she insisted, evidently more awake now.

He was standing at the window now, almost face to face with her. He grabbed her hand and held it there, as if he were afraid she would disappear if he didn't hold on. "You know what post-traumatic stress is, right?" he sighed.

She gave him another incredulous look. "My mom's a doctor…"

"Right. Well I've been suffering from it ever since we got back to the colony," he confessed.

Maddy let the information sink in. "Oh, Mark! Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could have helped you…"

"I keep having nightmares, Maddy. In them I just…I see you…and you need help and I try so hard and…" his breath kept hitching with each pause. "I'm never able to…" his voice trailed off. "I just had to make sure you were alright."

Maddy grinned in the dark. Only Mark would care enough about her to walk all the way to her house and check on her because of a dream. She couldn't resist the urge and pulled him closer to her, leaning out of the window further to give him an awkward embrace. "Mark, I'm fine! See? And I think it's sweet that you'd come all this way in the middle of the night to make sure I'm alright."

"I couldn't go back to sleep without knowing you were okay," he confessed.

"Well if you ever have nightmares again, you can always come here. I'll protect you…"

He smiled. "I was under the impression that was my job…"

_I'll stand by you. I'll stand by you. Won't let nobody hurt you…I'll stand by you…_

**A/N: I've read tons of stories where Maddy comes crawling into Mark's arms to feel safe, so I thought I'd turn the tables and have him come seek her out for comfort. It was a challenge, but one I was willing to accept. Again, please leave a review and if anyone wants to help me write more chapters for "I Will Find You," please get into contact with me using the messaging feature—I NEED HELP! Thanks everyone. PS: Today was my last day of break, which means midterms to study for! Aaah! But I'll update as often as possible—I'll probably end up writing new chapters to put off studying for chemistry anyway…**


	17. We'll Be a Dream

**A/N: Yes! I have returned! I've been letting this fic sit as I've been updating the "Snapshots of Mark and Maddy" story, but I got this idea and I just couldn't let it sit any longer. Seventeen chapters already! So I hope you enjoy this chapter and make sure to leave a review! **

Chapter 17: We'll be a Dream

Song: We'll be a Dream

Artist: We The Kings and Demi Lovato

Summary: Mark surprises Maddy with a gift.

Maddy awoke on a Saturday morning, as usual the first one up. As she sleepily stretched and clambered out of bed, she was startled by a knocking on the door. Opening it, she found a vendor from the marketplace.

"I got a delivery for you," he told her, somewhat impatiently.

"For me?" She was visibly confused—she hadn't ordered anything and if she had, she would have gone to pick it up herself. The vendors hated delivering things and made sure to charge ridiculous rates for the service.

"You're Maddy Shannon?" he asked her.

"Yes…"

"Then this," he presented her with a large box, "is for you."

"Thanks," she said, her brow furrowing. "How much is the delivery fee?"

"It's already been squared up—you don't have to worry about a thing. Enjoy it," he pushed the box toward her.

"Uh, thank you…" she repeated distractedly, pulling the long package through the front door and setting it to rest in the living room, all the while wondering what exactly it could be.

There was an envelope with her name on it attached to the package. She pulled it off the box and opened it, finding a note to her inside. It was written in Mark's handwriting:

_Dear Maddy,_

_I know you've wanted one of these for a while. I hope you like it. Meet me in the orchards at nine tonight?_

_-Mark_

Her brow furrowed deeper. What exactly was this thing he had sent her? Carefully, she peeled back the box's flaps and gasped.

Inside, she found a telescope! She was instantly transported to two months ago:

They had been walking in the marketplace, just spending time together and talking. It was nearly sundown. As they passed a vendor, she had spotted a silver telescope and made an innocent comment to him about how she wanted to be able to own one someday. It had cost over one hundred terras—quite a bit of money.

'He didn't!' she thought, not sure whether she wanted to kiss him for thinking of her or smack him for spending nearly two months of wages on her.

She met him at nine that evening, just after his shift ended, bringing the telescope with her. He was in the middle of the orchard, several star charts in his hand. She set the device down on its portable stand and greeted him with a hug.

"Thank you," she grinned, her cheek pressed to his chest.

"You're welcome," he murmured tenderly.

Then, pulling back, she smacked his arm. "Mark Reynolds, do you realize you just wasted two months of wages?"

"It's not wasted if it makes you happy," he told her.

"Well…" her train of thought ended there. How could she recover from a statement like that? She melted.

He looked at her expectantly.

She sighed. "Fine," she resigned. He grinned.

"I got these prints of old star charts from the Eye," he told her, handing her the papers. "I thought we could look for some of these constellations."

She glanced at the charts. "Interesting fact, the North Star, also known as Polaris, is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor—the Little Bear. According to the star charts it should be right around there," she pointed with her finger.

His grin widened. "There's the Maddy I know and love."

_Do you remember the nights we'd sit here just laughing, smiling for hours at anything? Remember the nights we drove around crazy in love?_

The two spent nearly two hours star gazing through the telescope. They had looked at the stars before, but never so close. It was an entirely different experience. Maddy was able to see the constellations she had read about up close. Mark just reveled in seeing her so happy and excited.

"Look!" she pointed, "I found Venus!" She stood aside so he could see as well. Her tone changed slightly as she asked, "you do know who Venus was, right?"

"Who?" he asked, still looking through the lens.

"The goddess of love!"

"Well," he responded, glancing up, "I don't need to look through a telescope to find that…" his arm drew her closer.

"Star-gazing, goddess of love—you're really corny, you know that?" she teased, trying to inch away, but he held her fast, kissing her cheek.

"But you like it anyway," he finished.

She giggled. "Well the star-gazing part, anyway."

He smirked and stood aside, letting her resume her place, peeking into the lens and glancing at the star-charts to locate other constellations, excitedly pointing them out to him as she pinpointed each one.

_When the lights go out, we'll be safe and sound. We'll take control of the world like it's all we have to hold onto, and we'll be a dream…_

**A/N: I was feeling inspired, what can I say? Something about telescopes and fields at night…and corny Roman goddess jokes. Thank Google, because that's the only way I discovered all about these constellations. Anyway, I hope you liked the story and remember: there's an author at the other end of this keyboard who is dying for you to leave a review. So please do! Thank you! **


	18. Mad

**A/N: I wanted to push all of these updates out sooner and more spaced out but the web servers were not playing nice, so I hope you guys aren't totally overwhelmed with the amount of reading material. I've decided to explore Mark and Maddy having a fight. Why? Because their romance can't be all fluffy! I know some of you will be made sad by this, but I implore you to read anyway. They are Mark and Maddy at the end of the day, and so you know this will work out. Hopefully…don't forget to review!**

Chapter 18: Mad

Song: Mad

Artist: Ne-Yo

Summary: Mark and Maddy have a fight…

_She's staring at me. I'm sitting, wondering what she's thinking. Nobody's talking, 'cause talking just turns into screaming…_

Mark sits across from Maddy in the kitchen of the Shannon family home. An uncomfortable silence hangs in the air. Her parents are out, Josh is…somewhere, and Zoe has fled to her room, having heard their heated argument just several minutes before.

He meets her eyes, sees the angry tears in her brown pupils. His blue eyes flash apologetically, then harden again as he remembers that they're still technically arguing. It has gone from a war of words to a war of wills—who will crack first? In truth, he can't remember what the fight had even been about. The night had started out fine—normal chatter, babysitting Zoe. He had mentioned his OTG assignment coming up…that's when things started heading south for the couple. But he can't remember exactly what had started the fight. He understood her frustration—she would much rather have him working patrol in the middle of the colony, away from any real threats. But at the same time he was frustrated that he couldn't make her understand—make her understand that it was his sworn duty to protect Terra Nova. To protect her.

"Maddy," he feels about ready to give in, but her response makes his anger and frustration flare up again.

"What?" she responds icily, leveling a glare at him. She is obviously not happy.

"You know what? Fine." He throws his hands up. "I won't say anything at all."

"Fine!" she retorts, raising her voice a notch above his. "Don't. It's probably better anyway!" she folds her arms across her chest and averts her gaze elsewhere, her breathing getting harder.

"Maddy!" now he finds his voice rising as well. "Please! Just calm down and listen!"

"No, Mark! You listen! I'm tired of you never being here, always OTG on assignment! I…I just can't deal with it all the time!" she snaps.

"That isn't fair! You know I have a job to do, Maddy!" He shouts exasperatedly.

_And now it's I'm yelling over her, and she's yelling over me. All that it means is neither of us is listening. And what's even worse? That we don't even remember why we're fighting, so both of us are mad for nothing. Fighting for nothing, crying for nothing. But we won't let it go for nothing, no not for nothing, this should be nothing to a love like what we've got…_

"Well sometimes I wish you'd just do something else, Mark! Anything else!" she huffs, sitting back, folding her arms tighter around herself.

"I can't, Maddy! This is my job. This is what I want to do!"

"But it's driving us apart!" Now she's shouting exasperatedly as well.

"Maddy, you knew that there would be times like this. You knew that when we started this relationship," his voice is coming down a notch now.

She groans, frustrated. "Well then, maybe we shouldn't have started this relationship!" She screams, louder than anything else she's said all evening. Then there's silence. He doesn't respond.

* * *

><p>She regrets the words the minute they come out. The hurt look on his face is enough to plague her with guilt for the rest of her life. She didn't mean it. She was just…mad. Frustrated. This seemed to be happening every single time an OTG assignment came up. Somehow, Mark found his way onto every single one without fail. She hated knowing he was in harm's way all the time. He would leave for assignments for a few days and she wouldn't have any idea how he was half the time. She liked having Mark near her. And there was no excuse for what she just said. She knows it.<p>

"Do you really mean that?" he asks, his voice low. She thinks she sees a tear welling up in his eye.

She sighs, closes her eyes, letting a frustrated tear run down her cheek. She pulls her hair back. "No, Mark. I don't mean that at all," she meets his eyes as she says it. Her brown eyes reflect apology and sincere regret. His blue eyes show two things—pain and forgiveness. Both at once. It is a startling combination.

_Oh baby I know sometimes it's gonna rain, but, baby, can we make up now 'cause I can't sleep through the pain? Girl, I don't want to go to bed mad at you, and I don't want you to go to bed mad at me…_

"I'm sorry," they both say the word at almost the exact same moment. Both sets of eyes widen, as if they are mirroring each other.

"No, I'm sorry, Mark," she says, reaching across the table to take his hand. "What I said was way out of line. I never meant it, I was just frustrated because I worry so much about you. But I'm really sorry. For everything that I said."

His hand covers hers. "I'm sorry, too, Maddy. The last thing I want is to make you worry all the time, but I have a job to do. You understand, right?" She nods, and he continues. "I'm sorry that I kept this argument going so long, and I'm sorry I shouted at you." He rises from his seat now, crossing around the table and wrapping his arms over her shoulders. He presses a kiss to his cheek. "Do you forgive me?"

"Only if you forgive me," she tells him, placing her soft hands on his arms.

"Of course I forgive you, Maddy," he whispers into her ear.

She holds onto his arms. "You know I'll never stop worrying about you, Mark?"

"I know," he tells her. "But you also know that I'll never stop loving you, even when I'm not physically here."

She nods her head, a tear falling from her eye. "I love you too much to be without you. Promise me you'll be careful, always?"

"I promise." His voice is a low, soothing hum in her ear. "You're not mad anymore?" his voice is a little hesitant here.

She shakes her head. "No. I'm not mad anymore, Mark," she twists her head over her shoulder to look at him. There's a small, relieved smile on his face.

"Good," he replies, kissing her cheek again. "Because I hate it when we're mad at each other."

"Me, too," she agrees.

**A/N: There ya go. I know, I know—everyone does a story about them having a fight over him leaving, but with these two there isn't much else to fight over. Their love is too fluffy for that! But I hope you like my spin on it, and I certainly hope you'll leave a review when you're done! Thank you, all! **


	19. Can't Find the Words

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I was so excited about starting my whole Terra Nova: Next Generation story that I sort of neglected everything else. I'm sorry. But, hey! I'm back now! So please enjoy this chapter update AND I would kindly as you go check out my new story "The Future of the Past" after you're done here. And leave a review. On both stories. But no flamers (that should go without saying.) Thank you!**

Chapter 19: Can't Find the Words (finally!—I was planning to use this song a while back…)

Song: Can't Find the Words

Artist: Karina (go look her up after you're finished reading—she's an amazing singer)

Summary: Maddy's thoughts on why she rambles whenever Mark is around…

_Now we've been talking for a while. And you've got me trying to figure out why I don't know what to say to you, but you got me feeling some kind of way for you…_

Maddy laughed to herself as she read the Terra Nova research journal she had just downloaded onto her plex. One of the lead articles had read like this: BREAKING DOWN BRACHIOSAURUS DIETS. The second paragraph detailed, extensively, the brachiosaurus' dental design. The third paragraph described how they sometimes ate smaller reptiles and insects as well. There was nothing inherently funny about the article itself, just the memories that it brought back for her.

It had been a while since she had thought about her first real meeting with Mark. And about how she had rambled on and on about the brachiosaur's teeth and diet. Any normal person wouldn't have known that. Then again, any normal person wouldn't have introduced themselves like that either.

He had just smiled, amused and fascinated, and nodded, and said "okay." Then he had left, and she had wanted to melt into the ground and disappear. But it had been brachiosaurus diets that had brought them together, so she supposed she really needed to thank the dinosaurs for being excellent conversation starters.

_And all I know is when we're together, no one can make me feel the way you do, baby. I wish each moment could last forever it's hard to explain the way I feel for you, I just can't find the words…_

It wasn't the only time she had rambled to him. In fact, it was the first of many times she had rambled to him. A chance encounter one day in the market had ended with her discussing the effects of the taruca parasite on the human body. It was a fairly disgusting, one-sided conversation from what she could remember, but he had again given her that patient smile, said some words of admiration, and left. She was positive she had scared him off yet again.

The first few months after he had begun "courting" her weren't any easier. Towards the end of their sixth month together, she had tried to express exactly what he meant to her. Instead, she had gone in circles for nearly ten minutes, explaining the complexity of human emotions such as love and happiness, and ending with the psychological effect love and attraction had on sentient beings. Somehow, through all of the babbling and big words, he had understood what she meant, said "I love you too," and kissed her.

_You got me losing myself in what I'm trying to say, and it's so hard to fight it, can't help but feeling this way. 'Cause every time that I'm near you, it's like my heart gets weak. Feels like I'm losing my breath, making it hard to speak. I just can't find the words…_

Then, their reunion in the jungle had occurred, just after the family's escape from Phoenix-controlled Terra Nova. They had spent a good half hour in each other's arms, in the throes of passion, when a carnotaur had cried out, spooking her. He tried to assuage her fear by assuring her it was just a juvenile and she, true to her nature, had begun a rant about how the juveniles were more dangerous, likening them to "hormonal teenagers with claws." This rant had been happily interrupted by his lips.

_Now I know I come off kind of shy. But it's hard to say what's on my mind. The chemistry we have is hard to find, but to find the right words is gonna take some time…_

Of course, now they were coming up on a year together. And Maddy had 'outgrown' her awkward rambling tendencies around Mark. Occasionally she would launch into one of her 'geek-out' moments, as she was fond of calling them. Their adventure in the orchards with the telescope came to mind. But through it all, Mark was patient, even captivated, by what she had to say. And even if she couldn't necessarily come up with the right thing to say all the time, he was satisfied with what she did say. Maddy smiled again, inwardly, and was suddenly startled to find she had come to the end of the article she had opened up to read. The memories had taken over her train of thought and she had been reading without consciously absorbing anything. Flipping back a page, she decided she had to read the article over. And then maybe share some of the information she gleaned off it with Mark. He could appreciate it, after all…

_And all I know is when we're together, no one can make me feel the way you do, baby. I wish each moment could last forever, it's hard to explain the way I feel for you. I just can't find the words…_

**A/N: Yeah, yeah, very one-sided, not enough Mark, yadda yadda yadda. I hope you liked it anyway! My next update will include both of them, together, not just Maddy's one-sided reflections (adorable as they are). So please leave a review, don't flame me, and add this to your alerts if you haven't done so already, because there will be more coming up real soon! **


	20. Bless the Broken Road

**A/N: Milestone! My twentieth update! Yay! And I've got 75 reviews, another milestone! Double yay! I don't want to bribe you guys, but I promise that when I hit 100 reviews there will be a special surprise for you guys! So keep those reviews coming! **

Chapter 20: Bless the Broken Road

Song: Bless the Broken Road

Artist: Rascal Flatts

Summary: It wasn't easy, waiting their whole lives for each other…

_I set out on a narrow way, many years ago, hoping I would find true love along the broken road. But I got lost a time or two, wiped my brow and kept pushing through. I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you…_

Mark observed her silently as she sat on the bench, reading from her plex as always. The moon cast a pale glow over her form. Just seeing her, so concentrated yet so peaceful, caused a powerful feeling of love to well up inside of him, mixed with some pride. Pride because she was his, and he was hers.

Maddy wasn't the first girlfriend Mark had, but in truth, he couldn't even remember the others' names anymore. She was all that mattered. There were many times, he could remember, when he had had his heart broken, back in the future. He would try so hard for one girl and end up alone when she decided to move on.

After his grandfather had died, Mark came to Terra Nova alone. And he vowed to stay that way. He had avoided relationships with many of the young women who had come through with and before him, and he kept his distance from the ones that made their way through the portal each time. Some would cast looks his way. He would ignore them. He was better off alone, he had decided. But Maddy came on the tenth pilgrimage, and then everything changed.

_Every long lost dream led me to where you are, others who broke my heart—they were like northern stars—pointing me on my way into your loving arms. This much I know is true: that God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you…_

He was only trying to be nice when he first talked to Zoe. He had watched her feed the brachiosaurus and he had seen how stressed Maddy had become by this. So he thought a brief chat would help assuage the sisters' fears and doubts about Terra Nova. It was his job, after all. When Maddy opened her mouth, though, he was captivated. Rather than formal introductions or words of thanks, she had started rambling about brachiosaurus teeth. She had hooked him. No other girl had ever been that…real with him before. He knew from how she spoke that this was not pretense—this was actually her, her personality, laid bare for everyone to see.

Mark approached the back of the bench, gently placing his hands on her shoulders and squeezing lightly. She nearly jumped, startled, and turned around, meeting his playful eyes and smiling shyly. She slid over on the bench and silently patted the place beside her. He seated himself, an arm draped over her shoulder. The two sat in companionable silence—she reading her book, he staring out at the night, listening intently to the chirp of the various prehistoric insects.

_I think about the years I spent, just passing through. I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you. But you just smile and take my hand, you've been there, you understand. It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true…_

Now that Mark was beside her, Maddy was very much distracted. Every time she felt his presence near her, her heart soared. She had grown up listening to fairy tales that told of valiant knights in shining armor, coming to sweep princesses off their feet. She was a hopeless romantic from a young age. But she quickly learned that life in Chicago in 2100s was not the life of storybooks. The boys were crude. If they were attracted to you, they'd use whatever excuse possible to slip their hand into your shirt. If they weren't attracted to you, they'd do whatever possible to break you. Maddy fell into the latter category.

School had been hell for her. She was too awkward to really get to know the boys, so they naturally rejected her. Some days were better than others—being called "ugly" as opposed to a string of derogatory words she couldn't even bring herself to think.

When she came through the portal, she felt vulnerable, timid. She had vowed to keep to herself, fearing that she would be judged otherwise. But Mark had caught her eye from her first few minutes in Terra Nova. She was just too afraid to say anything. At least until he made the first approach and started talking to Zoe. Then she had opened right up, before she could stop herself.

And somehow, she had found her storybook romance anyway. Mark was the perfect gentleman—right down to the awkward "courting" session he had held with her in the marketplace. She had had crushes back in 2149, but they were unattainable. Now she had love, and her heart beat double time whenever she thought of this. Unable to focus any longer, she shut off her plex and instead nestled her head on Mark's shoulder.

_Every long lost dream led me to where you are, others who broke my heart—they were like northern stars—pointing me on my way into your loving arms. This much I know is true: that God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you._

Maddy shivered as the night breeze blew on her.

"Cold?" Mark asked, the first words they had spoken to each other since he had arrived. He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders before she could respond, a smile tugging at his lips when she snuggled deeper into his side, her arms wrapping around him. His arm moved from her shoulder to her hip, holding her to him closely. It wasn't easy waiting, their whole lives for each other, but it was more than worth it.

_And now I'm just rolling home into my lover's arms. This much I know is true: that God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you…_

**A/N: Another update done! Please leave a review and check out my other stories too (and leave reviews there, if you don't mind!) More updates are coming up, especially updates for "Snapshots" and "Future of the Past." And "I Will Find You" is moving along, too. It's taking a while because I need to revamp a lot of it so it'll head in the direction I want. So that's where I stand on everything. Keep an eye out for the updates because they'll be coming in fast and hot—trying to get all the bunnies out before my midterms start on Monday! **


	21. 8th World Wonder

**A/N: Again, I find myself having brain farts while studying. So I'm writing this to help relieve myself. Was this inspired by an episode of Phineas and Ferb? Maybe just a little, but I have little brothers so don't blame me! Anyway, I got to thinking—if Maddy ever asked Mark what he liked about her, what would he say? Here you go! It's a bit short, hope you don't mind—I've got tons of studying left to do. Please rate and subscribe…I mean…read and review… **

Chapter 21: 8th World Wonder

Song: 8th World Wonder

Artist: Kimberley Locke

Summary: What does Mark like about Maddy?

_Woke up early this morning, made my coffee like I always do. Then it hit me from nowhere, everything I feel about me and you…_

Mark held Maddy's hand as they strolled in and out of the pathways that wound through Terra Nova. The warm afternoon sun beat lazily down on them and they weren't going anywhere in particular. They were just walking, soaking up the light. And talking.

"Mark?" Maddy asked, turning to look at him. He was still grinning from whatever she had said before—she couldn't remember.

"Yeah?"

Maddy paused. She had wanted to ask this question for a while. It had been gnawing away at her, ever since she had read a romance novel. She knew Mark liked her—he even said he loved her—but she had to wonder: what was it about her that he really loved? She had struggled with self-esteem issues before, but that was no longer a problem. Mark never ceased to make her feel like the most special girl on Earth—future or past. It was more her own curiosity than anything else.

She knew what she loved about Mark. She loved his eyes, like deep, blue pools. She loved how safe he made her feel when he held her tight. She liked his dark hair, cropped short—it made him look rugged. She loved how polite he was—like something out of a Shakespearean play, only without the tragedy and all the dying. She especially loved how he made her feel—wanted, loved, sought after. He was protective of her, he wouldn't let anything else touch her. He waited for her when she went off on a rant or a ramble. And he treated her like a queen whenever they were together.

So she knew what she loved about Mark. But she needed to know what Mark loved about her.

"Mark, you love me, right?"

He glanced at her now, wondering what this was leading to. "Of course I love you, Maddy."

"What do you love about me?" She asked.

He paused. What _was_ it that he loved about her? Everything.

_The way you kiss me crazy, baby you're so amazing…_

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what is it that you love. There's got to be something…"

"Maddy, I love everything about you…"

"Oh come on, Mark! There's got to be something specific that you love about me."

"Maddy…" he struggled to isolate a single trait that shined above the rest.

Her hair, that was one thing. It was long, dark, flowing, curling a bit at the tips. Her eyes, a deep, hypnotizing brown. Her skin, perfectly tanned thanks to her partially-Indian heritage. He loved her lips, so soft and sweet. And he loved holding her in his arms, feeling her there beside him.

Aside from the physical, there was much to love in Maddy's personality. Her intelligence was, of course, the most apparent. She knew just about everything anyone could ever hope to know. A walking encyclopedia. And then there was her rambling. She hadn't rambled in a while, but he loved it when she did. She was down-to-earth, unafraid to get her hands a little dirty while doing research. She was incredibly modest, deflecting his compliments to the point that it nearly drove him insane. And she was infinitely compassionate—always ready to lend an ear or a hand when someone needed it.

He turned back to her, realizing that she was still waiting expectantly. "I love…everything about you, Maddy. You're beautiful, intelligent, caring, loving…" He noticed her start to blush. "You're…captivating." That was the word for her—captivating. "You captivate me." He leaned down and kissed her softly for emphasis. He pulled back. "That's what I love about you."

_Seven days and seven nights of thunder. The water's rising and I'm slipping under. I think I fell in love with the eighth world wonder…_

**A/N: Yes, it was pretty short but I can't just spend all my time writing—I've got exams to finish studying for! That was a nice break from reality, though. Please leave a review! Remember: 100 reviews earns a special surprise! (I did NOT mean that to sound so creepy…) **

**PS: The doc upload feature is being mean to me and won't allow me to upload new documents. I'm not at my capacity so it isn't that...I've been forced to delete old text from another file and copy/paste this writing in. Anyone with knowledge on what the hell is going on, please get in touch with me. Pretty please?  
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	22. All You Wanted

**A/N: Another songfic update. Again, I'm sorry it's taking me a while to get back into my updating—I'm still recovering from the hell that was midterm week! But I'm steadily pumping out updates so I hope you'll bear with me while I get back online. So yeah, this is a songfic (like I said). Hope you'll enjoy and review. 100 and I'll publish my reward for you guys! I'm 18 reviews away—get excited! **

Chapter 22: All You Wanted

Song: All You Wanted

Artist: Michelle Branch

Summary: Mark takes Maddy to the waterfalls, even though she's afraid of water…

Mark led the way to the spot he had hand-chosen for them. It was serene, shaded by the exotic trees with a full view of the waterfall, and it was high up enough that any intrepid dinosaurs would be unable to reach them. And he had decided to tell his squad mates where he would be, just in case there was a repeat of the dayflower incident they now joked about so often.

Maddy was amazed. She had been in Terra Nova for so long and she had never been to the waterfalls. Josh had told her all about Skye's "frut" moonshine operation out there—long since disbanded—but she had never actually been to the falls herself. They had been off-limits, and they still were to some extent. Mark had received special clearance to bring her there, and she was thankful Commander Taylor liked her family and Mark.

Maddy never learned how to swim. In Chicago in 2149, it had been a struggle just to obtain clean drinking water. There wasn't any water to spare, and certainly none to swim in. She had heard that in certain parts of Africa and Asia, it was still possible to go swimming in relatively clean ponds. Her mother knew how to swim, but she didn't. The waterfalls intrigued her, but she was terrified to get too close, so she stood on the shore, staring into the shallow waves.

Mark took her hand as she looked down nervously. She turned to face him and their eyes met. He was silently willing her to push the boundaries of her own fears and go inside with him. She could see it in his eyes. It was a look she had come to know very well since meeting Mark Reynolds. It had been what fascinated her to begin with—the confidence and courage he exuded. She wanted to be that confident, but it was not in her character. Maddy Shannon didn't take risks.

_I wanted to be like you. I wanted everything. So I tried to be like you, but I got swept away…_

Mark really wanted Maddy to go into the water with him. Even if she didn't go too deep, he wanted her to let go of her fears and trust that he would be there to catch her if she fell. She had released her fears so many times before with him, but she was quite obviously terrified now. She had a bathing suit on beneath her clothing, but somehow he got the feeling that it wouldn't be getting wet today. In a last-ditch effort to convince her, he removed his own shirt and kicked off his shoes, leaving his shorts on and wading in about two feet. He turned and offered her his hand.

_I didn't know that it was so cold and you needed someone to show you the way. So I took your hand and we figured out that when the tide comes I'll take you away…_

Maddy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She placed her small hand into his large, warm one, kicked off her shoes, and took a step in, about ankle deep. The water was chilly and it moved rapidly about her feet. Her toes curled around smooth pebbles. Her heart was racing already. She opened her eyes slowly and found herself less than half a foot away from dry land. Mark was still holding her hand, smiling proudly at her.

"You did it!" he congratulated her. "You took your first step!"

"Great. Can I get out now?"

Mark released her hand reluctantly and she took a step backwards onto the shoreline. She could still feel the cold sensation of the clean, crystal-clear water moving around her feet. As crazy as it sounded, she wanted to feel it again. So before she even knew what she was doing, she had removed her sundress and was wearing her bathing suit, slowly walking back towards the rushing waters.

Mark was sitting on the shoreline, skimming a stone when she sat down next to him. He turned, looked, and was surprised to find she was wearing only her bathing suit.

"Are you going to help me or am I going to have to flail around out there by myself?" she asked, a playful grin playing on her lips.

He smiled and took her hand, leading her back in. She got into water up to her knees and stopped abruptly.

"Mark, I don't think I can go any further."

"Come on, Maddy, you were doing great! Besides, I know how to swim and perform CPR. I'll save you if anything goes wrong."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

_If you want to, I can save you. I can take you away from here. So lonely inside, so busy out there. And all you wanted was somebody who cares…_

Maddy took a deep breath and followed. The water felt absolutely frigid now and she wondered how he wasn't absolutely freezing. The water was up to her waist and they were coming closer to the mouth of the falls. She felt small fish dart in and out from between her toes, tickling her skin. The cold water touched her exposed stomach and her muscles immediately contracted, goose-bumps forming as she her skin tried to avoid contact with the icy liquid.

"You're doing great, Maddy," Mark reassured her, still holding her hand. She nodded, subconsciously tilting her head upward as the water crept closer to her chest.

"Just a little further, I know you can do it."

"Mark, it's…it's cold…" she shivered.

"I know, but you get used to it."

The water was now over her chest and getting close to her neck and she began to feel uncomfortable. She was about to open her mouth and tell him she didn't want to go further when she lost her footing on the rocks on the bottom of the freshwater pond. She felt her legs give out and then she was under the water, the ripples of light reflecting off the surface played serenely above her head. She was gripped with terror. She didn't know how to swim and she could feel herself slowly sinking. Her oxygen was running out—she at least had the sense not to breathe in. She didn't know what to do, but she didn't have time to think. A strong set of arms wrapped around her waist and yanked her up.

Her head broke the surface first, then Mark's. She clung to his shoulders, practically climbing onto him. She was trembling and her face was pale.

_I'm sinking slowly, so hurry hold me. Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on. Please can you tell me, so I can finally see where you go when you're gone? _

"Maddy, can you hear me?" he asked, desperation in his voice. "Are you okay?"

She nodded weakly, still too shaken to speak. He started off toward shore, carrying her sideways in his arms, her hands grasping desperately at his neck, holding on for fear she would fall back in.

When they reached shore, he set her down on the sand, wrapping a towel around her. "I'm so sorry," he apologized, visibly shaken at the thought of almost losing her. "I shouldn't have made you go that deep…"

Maddy met his eyes, still somewhat shocked by the experience. "You…you saved me…" she managed to get out between shivers.

He smiled and his hand found purchase on her cheek. "I promised I would."

_If you want to, I can save you. I can take you away from here. So lonely inside, so busy out there. And all you wanted was somebody who cares…_

**A/N: So there you have it, another update for all of you! I hope you liked this chapter. I've read a few Mark/Maddy swimming stories, so I thought I'd do something with water for this one. Yes, I realize the lyrics have much deeper meaning than just that, and I was going to expand on the concept, but it ended up being much too long so I had to cut down. Hope you'll forgive me anyway! So please drop me a review, remember: 100 reviews and I promise to reward you all! **


	23. Hero

**A/N: Another songfic update! I am SO close to 100 reviews it isn't even funny. I'm finalizing work on my surprise for you all so please let the reviews pour in so I can post it, already! I've been working hard! **

Chapter 23: Hero

Song: Hero

Artist: Enrique Iglesias

Summary: Mark and Maddy take a walk while Mark reflects on their relationship. And an unexpected, minor event sends him into a frenzy fussing over her…

_Would you dance, if I asked you to dance? Would you run, and never look back? Would you cry, if you saw me crying? And would you save my soul tonight?_

He held her hand gently as they walked side-by-side through the countless rows of trees and flowers in the orchards. They were Maddy's favorite place to be, and he was quickly finding that he enjoyed the serenity of the orchards as well. It was early evening and the wind carried a faint scent of rain. Mark was grateful that it wouldn't rain until after dark. It gave him more time to spend with her.

Love. It was a startling realization to realize he was in love. But there was no other way to describe it, so he went with it. Madelyn Shannon, the brainy, beautiful, timid, caramel-skinned girl with the dark locks and intense, umber eyes had his heart. And he was more than willing to give it to her.

They paused in the middle of one of the rows of trees so that she could examine some of the spring blossoms. She took a particular interest in a pink-tinged flower species, so he plucked one of the blooms from the branch and tucked it behind her ear. It seemed like the fitting thing to do. She smiled and blushed, and he savored the rosy tint.

_Would you tremble, if I touched your lips? Would you laugh? Oh please tell me this. Now would you die, for the one you love? Hold me in your arms tonight…_

"You know you're beautiful?" he asked, for no other reason than to let her know. The blush deepened.

"Stop it," she mumbled modestly.

"You are," he told her, his hand brushing her cheek. She rolled her eyes and smirked, her soft hand covering his rougher one as she led him onwards.

He loved the way she looked all the time, but especially today. She hadn't put on makeup today, and she hadn't straightened her hair out, so it fell in its naturally wavy position. She was stunning on her own. She was naturally beautiful.

His arm wrapped behind her neck and around her shoulder, his fingers lightly tracing a pattern into her arm. He smirked when he felt the goose bumps rise in their wake.

"Mark, how am I supposed to collect any field samples if you keep distracting me?" she huffed good-naturedly. "I'm on a mission here!"

"And what's your mission?" he asked.

"To find and collect _this _flower!" she showed him a diagram on her Plex. "It's the last one in its family that I need to collect."

"So let's look for it," he said as they started off again.

"Look!" she pointed excitedly about halfway down the same row.

"You found it?"

"No," she shook her head as she bent down to touch a flower. "Aren't these pretty, though? They're like a predecessor to roses, but you have to be careful because their thorns are really…" she yelped and pulled back examining her finger.

Mark took one look at the blood droplet and was immediately thrown into a fit of worrying. "Oh my God, Maddy, you're bleeding! Are you alright?" He held her hand and examined it closely.

She laughed, pulling her hand back and wiping the blood onto her cargo pants. "I'm fine, Mark, I just got pricked by a thorn."

"Oh," Mark said. "I guess you don't need a kiss to make it feel better then?" He retook her hand and brought her injured finger gently to his lips, causing her to blush once more.

_I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by you forever. You can take my breath away…_

They pressed onwards, scouring the various trees for that one particular blossom. She chattered excitedly about its unique properties. He listened, intrigued.

_Would you swear, that you'll always be mine? Or would you lie? Would you run and hide? Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind? I don't care, you're here tonight…_

He was fascinated by how much knowledge Maddy stored inside her head. She was absolutely brilliant. He had fallen in love with a certifiable genius, and he was thrilled whenever she started spewing facts—things he had never known before. Sometimes, he found himself quoting her to his friends on patrol. Most of them were not nearly as enthralled by the information, but he didn't care. _You're crazy, Reynolds_, he'd often tell himself. _You're rushing into things_. But in truth, he knew. He knew he wouldn't find another girl who made him feel so happy. He wasn't afraid to admit he was in love.

The sun was starting to set and he turned to Maddy. "We might have to come back tomorrow, Maddy. Night's falling."

Maddy sighed. "Five more minutes? I really want to find the flower today if possible. Who knows how much longer it'll be blooming?"

He nodded and they reached the end of the row they were in. Suddenly, she pointed up. "There!" The blossoms were growing on the top half of the tree, way out of her reach.

Mark paused, thought a minute, and then swung himself up into the branches, intent on bringing the flower down for her.

"Mark!" she exclaimed from the ground. "Be careful up there!"

"Relax," he shouted back down. "I've got experience climbing trees…."

He plucked the blossom and then returned to her, handing her the flower.

"My hero," she gushed.

He laughed. "Just doing my job…"

_I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by you forever. You can take my breath away…_

**A/N: I'm really hoping to reach 100 reviews with this chapter—I'm putting my finishing touches on the surprise for all of you! I think you'll like it (especially if you're a fan of this pairing!) Also, I'm approaching the end of these songfics. Yep, they're wrapping up :( But don't worry, I've got a few good songs left before it's all over. And there will be another series to replace this one. Please leave a review, because 100 will finally earn you all the surprise you've been waiting for! **


	24. What Makes You Beautiful

**A/N: Happy Late Valentine's Day! I wanted to do something special for Valentine's Day, and a songfic just seemed appropriate. Sorry it's a bit late—I've been sick :( Anyway, my surprise to all of you is up, go check it out! Also got a new series posted, or at least a teaser for it. I'm trying to test the waters. I've also got two oneshots and I'm considering starting another project as well. More details to come. Enjoy, my friends, and don't forget to spread a little love! Do it everyday! **

**PS: Giving in to all the OneDirection hysteria. It's a feel-good song and I think it fits well here (or in any Mark/Maddy fic for that matter…) Dedicated to I'm-Insane-and-I-Know-It for telling me to check the band out, and to Inky for inadvertently planting this idea in my head when she left a review elsewhere… **

Chapter 24: What Makes You Beautiful

Song: What Makes You Beautiful

Artist: OneDirection

Summary: Mark wants to make Valentine's Day perfect for Maddy…

_You're insecure, don't know what for. You're turning heads when you walk through the door. Don't need make up to cover up. Being the way that you are is enough…_

He had sought the perfect gift for Maddy high and low for over a month. He had been saving away his wages for even longer than that—he would get the perfect Valentine's Day present for her, even if it cost him an arm and a leg.

He had, embarrassingly, consulted with Josh. Maddy's older brother found it hilarious when Reynolds showed up and asked him what his sister would appreciate the most. Josh hadn't been very helpful, only offering him info that he already knew. Maddy was not like most girls, she was intellectual, and she loved to learn. She was romantic, and her idealistic romance was far simpler than most girls' dreams. Mark had to make it perfect for her.

His train of thought ran towards her traits. What she was like. Intelligent, quick-thinking, adept at all things educational. This was starting to sound like a business card…

What would Maddy need? Nothing. As far as he could tell, she had everything: brains, beauty, a great family, a bright future, and she loved life. But one thing stood out to him in his brainstorming: it was all well and good to think these things of her in his own mind, but every time he complimented her she deflected it modestly, almost…timidly.

Timid! Maddy was timid, at least most of the time. And she was always far too modest for her own good. It was a start. This Valentine's Day, Mark would prove to her that he wasn't "just saying that" when he said she was beautiful. He meant it. And he would need a video camera, and some other things to do it…

Two hours of research and prep later found Mark in front of the camera, a little unsure of what to say. But he got the video finished and he wrapped it up in a neat bundle, accompanied by a host of other objects. He dropped the package off on her porch while he was on patrol, doing it discreetly so no one would see and tell her about it. He wanted it to be a surprise.

_Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you…_

He hoped she would get the package before anyone else, and that she would view it in private. He hoped even more that she would like it, because if he was being honest, the idea seemed cheesy at first. But if there was anything that would make Maddy happy, it was romance combined with intellect. He hoped it would be intelligent enough for her.

_Baby, you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell. You don't know, you don't know you're beautiful. If only you saw what I can see, you'll understand why I want you so desperately. Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe you don't know you're beautiful. That's what makes you beautiful…_

Maddy came home from a rather long day at her internship. She wasn't sure if it was due to the occasion, but Malcolm was working all the lab interns like dogs. He seemed a little grumpy. She was pleasantly surprised to find a parcel, tied up and sitting at her front door. The words "To Maddy" inscribed on the wrapping made her instantly recognize it as coming from Mark. She grinned to herself, looked around, then went inside with the bundle in hand.

Her delicate fingers unlaced the twine that bound the package together, and she was confronted by a box. Slowly, she opened it up, her eyes widening as she glanced over a wide variety of seemingly random objects—a flower (absolutely gorgeous in color), a light bulb, the bud from one of the plants just starting to grow in the late winter months, a sparkling stone, partially uncovered but still halfway embedded in dark coal, and a velvet box. At the very bottom was a note and a memory chip.

_Maddy—_

_Watch the video on this chip first. It'll explain everything. Happy Valentine's Day._

—_Mark_

A smile touched her lips. Whatever it was, it definitely promised to be romantic. Eagerly, she inserted the chip into her Plex and grinned broadly when a somewhat unsure-looking Mark appeared on the screen, talking to her.

"Hi, Maddy. It's me. Happy Valentine's Day!" He paused. "This year, I'm going to tell you—show you—exactly how I feel about you, and I'm going to do it in a video for your viewing pleasure…" he smiled in the recording, and she mirrored his action in real life.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" he began, reciting the opening lines from Shakespeare's eighteenth sonnet, which he had conveniently printed out from the Eye's archives. "Thou art more lovely and more temperate…" He paused, reached down. "This flower," he held up the bloom, "is pretty rare. I think you'll know what it is, but the name Malcolm gave me is sort of unpronounceable…Anyway, this flower," he held it up to the camera again, for emphasis, "is the same one in the box. It represents how beautiful you really are—hard to find but it makes me want to hold onto it even more, to see it all the time…" Maddy could feel herself blushing as video-Mark flattered her. "I recited Shakespeare because I know you appreciate his writings, and it also represents your intellect. You're so brilliant, Maddy, and that's a beautiful thing. You aren't just a beautiful face, but you have an equally beautiful mind behind it.

He moved on, holding up the light bulb. "This, is a light bulb. It's a necessity, and it's practical, like you. But more importantly, a light bulb lights the way, lights up the world, lights up lives. You're my light bulb, Maddy. You light up my life." Maddy wanted to squeal, she was blushing like crazy.

"Next," he reached down again. "A flower bud. It isn't much right now, because it's sort of shrunken into itself and hidden away. But when the bud blooms, it becomes a beautiful flower. I'm glad you bloomed for me…" Maddy fingered the bud in her hand.

"Okay, now this," video-Mark held up the gemstone embedded in coal as she held the same object in her palm. "This, is obviously a diamond. They're really rare, as I'm sure you know. They form from coal, which is dirty, messy, and not the most attractive of substances. But from it comes this sparkling, pure gem. It's just like you and your past. 2149 was _not _a good place, Maddy, as you've told me so many times before. It was rough, crude, dirty—just like coal. But somehow, out of it came you: a diamond in the rough."

There was a pause in the video, as if he was giving her a chance to let the information sink in. "You're probably wondering what's in the box…" Maddy found herself nodding subconsciously. "Well if you open it, you'll find yourself staring back at you." Maddy did what he said and found herself staring into a mirror. "But I hope that you'll see yourself in a new light now—you can use the light bulb to help you. You're smart, beautiful, meaningful, real, you're perfect, Maddy Shannon. And I'm so glad I met you and got to know you. You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, and I really and truly love you. Happy Valentine's Day." The video seemed to end there.

"PS," Mark's voice returned after a moment, "please don't tease me too much about this when I see you again. And don't tell the guys in my unit, they'd never let me live such a sappy video down. Love you!" Then the video truly ended. Maddy smiled, held the mirror close to her bosom. No guy, scratch that, no _one _had ever made her feel that special. She felt happy tears stain her eyes as she hit replay on her Plex.

_Baby, you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell. You don't know, you don't know you're beautiful. If only you saw what I can see, you'll understand why I want you so desperately. Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe you don't know you're beautiful. That's what makes you beautiful…_

**A/N: Awww, yes, yes, sappiness, maybe the idea's a bit overdone and cheesy, blah, blah, blah…It was Valentine's Day. I was feeling lovey-dovey. Let me have my moment to write some idealistic fairytale story! Anyway, like I said, hope you all had an excellent Valentine's Day. Sorry I couldn't get this out sooner. Thanks and don't forget to review. I still want reviews even though my surprise is posted…**


	25. Safe and Sound

**A/N: Okay, so this is chapter 25. As of now, there are only five more chapters planned for this story. I'm open to more song suggestions, though, so I won't be ending this story permanently. Some of you asked for Maddy's response to Mark's Valentine's gift, BUT I have no idea how the feminine brain thinks in terms of Valentine's Day gifts. I can usually get into either character but I'm at a total loss for this one. SO, for this chapter, I'm revisiting a theme from a few chapters back, where Mark confesses he's suffering from post traumatic stress and that he worries about Maddy. Well guess what? The PTSD is keeping him up again, and this time Maddy's there to comfort him. I'm using a Taylor Swift song here because a LunaMexi117 requested one—sorry it isn't "Mine," Luna, but my brain was starved for ideas on a plot for that song. I hope this will do instead :) Please read and review (that goes for everyone, not just Luna!) **

Chapter 25: Safe and Sound

Song: Safe and Sound (amazing song off the Hunger Games soundtrack!)

Artist: Taylor Swift featuring the Civil Wars

Summary: Maddy comforts Mark when his post traumatic stress keeps him up again…

_I remember tears streaming down your face when I said "I'll never let you go." When all those shadows almost killed your light. I remember, you said "don't leave me alone." But all that's dead and gone and past tonight…_

Maddy entered Mark's private housing unit quietly, letting herself in with the key he had given her. It was late evening, and she had snuck out, but it was worth it. Earlier, he had described to her another one of his vivid dreams brought on by the post traumatic stress. Her mother had told her it would take months for him to get over it, at least. Maddy had sat and listened, surprisingly unaffected as he told her about his graphic nightmare in which they were being hunted by slashers and he had been unable to save her from the monstrous predators. She had taken his hand instead, and promised to help him get through it, just as she had that night at her window. She knew he was losing sleep each night, and tonight she was determined to make sure he rested fitfully, even if it meant getting grounded by her dad for sneaking out in the middle of the night.

"Mark?" she called to alert him of her presence as she ventured through the front entrance hall and towards the back of the house.

"Maddy?" his voice replied from the bathroom. She could hear the water running and knew he was showering—his shift had ended about fifteen minutes prior to her arrival.

"Yeah…"

"Hold on…" his voice replied, and she heard the water shut off. A moment later, he opened the door, steam pouring from the bathroom as he stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair sticking up at odd angles on top of his head. She blushed at the sight. "Give me a minute to get dressed…" he disappeared into the bedroom and she took a seat in the small kitchen.

Mark returned a few minutes later, now clothed in a pair of sweats and an olive t-shirt. "Maddy, what are you doing here? It's past ten o'clock!"

"I know, I know, but you were so upset by the nightmares so I thought I'd come here and, you know, comfort you. You said that seeing me alright helped…"

"Yes," Mark sighed, "but I didn't mean for you to come here in the middle of the night! Does your dad know you're here?"

Maddy shook her head.

"He's going to kill me…"

Maddy shook her head again. "I won't let him, Mark. If he finds out, it's totally on me."

"I can't let you do this, Maddy. I'll be fine."

She took a hard look at the dark bags under his eyes. "No you won't! You've hardly slept these last few months, I can tell! Just…just let me stay tonight. Please?"

He sighed again. "Maddy…"

She gave him a winning smile. "I won't take no for an answer…"

He gave up. "Fine," he relented, getting up. She followed him into his room. It was odd—they had been together for so many months and she had only been in his room once, briefly after a party at Skye's. It had been dark then, and she hadn't paid too much attention to her surroundings. But now, the room was cast in a faint glow from the overhead lighting. Her presence in the room was completely innocent, of course, but still—the setting had her mind imagining all sorts of scenarios, most of which would probably result in Mark getting killed by her father if they happened in actuality.

Mark turned the bed sheets down and smirked when she waited expectantly for him to lie down. "What? Are you waiting to tuck me in or something?" he asked, half-jokingly.

"As a matter of fact…" she grinned as he slowly climbed into bed. She pulled the sheets over him and then crossed over to the other side of the mattress, hitting the light switch by the door and slipping in beside him. He tensed for a moment, the gravity of having her beside him finally dawning.

"Maddy, maybe you should…"

"No," she said quietly. "How am I supposed to provide any source of comfort to you from anywhere else?"

"You realize how this could be taken…?"

"It's innocent, Mark."

"I know that and you know that, but to anyone else…"

His voice trailed off when she cuddled up beside him, her warmth enveloping him. "Just go to sleep and stop worrying so much," she commanded. He relaxed a little at the gentle contact, tension leaving him. He wasn't so anxious anymore—Maddy was right beside him. She was there, and he could protect her, even while she protected him.

_Just close your eyes. The sun is going down. You'll be alright; no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound…_

He panted as he ran, ran for the small, overgrown outpost in the middle of the woods somewhere. He knew his mission somehow. He knew what was going on. He gave the door a mighty kick, reducing it to toothpicks as he leapt in and aimed his weapon at the enemy he knew he would find.

"Wondering when you'd show up," Lucas drawled. "I couldn't wait any longer, so I just got started anyway…" Mark's eyes widened at the sight before him: four bodies—Jim, Elisabeth, Josh, and Zoe Shannon, all lifeless on the ground, eyes wide and accusing.

"I saved the best for last," Lucas continued, pulling a fifth hostage from behind one of the dusty computer banks.

"Maddy!" Mark gasped, seeing the girl bound and gagged, being held up like a rag doll by the traitor son of Commander Taylor. She made frantic, terrified noises as she struggled at her bonds.

"Now that you're here, I can really get this party started…" Mark watched, eyes wide as Lucas drew a knife and held it to Maddy's throat. He tried to surge forward, to tackle the man to the ground and wrestle the knife away, but some invisible force held him rooted to the spot, incapable of moving no matter how hard he tried. He was forced to watch the scene play out as he stood, completely unable to stop it. Lucas put the knife to Maddy's jugular and the girl screamed as he began to apply pressure.

"Mark!" there was a desperate cry. "Mark!" her voice repeated, and suddenly the entire outpost was shaking. "Mark, Mark are you okay?"

He sat up, shaking and panting. Maddy's hand was grasping his bicep, her eyes wide in concern. "Mark, are you okay?"

His hand gripped hers tightly and he nodded. "Yeah…yeah…"

She sat back, her hand never leaving his upper arm. "Another nightmare?"

"Another," he sighed.

"What happened this time?"

He shook his head. This nightmare had been one of the most graphic he had ever had. "I…I don't want to talk about it."

Maddy thought she heard a crack in his voice. "Mom says it helps to talk about the dreams—that if you describe them, sometimes it helps you to release some of the fear and the stress…"

"It was so…real, Maddy…"

She nodded understandingly. "Most dreams tend to be. You were thrashing around and calling my name. What was happening?"

He put his hand to his temple, rubbing it lightly. "I…I saw Lucas…"

"Lucas Taylor?"

He nodded affirmative. "He was in some…some sort of outpost or something. In the woods."

She nodded, watching him intently. "And then what?"

"I walked in, and I…I found…" he trailed off.

"What did you find, Mark?" she asked, the hand that was holding his slowly rubbing circles into his skin to relax him.

"I found…your family…they were all…"

"Dead?" she finished for him. He gulped and nodded. The hand that was on his bicep squeezed lightly as she pressed him. "And then what?"

"He…he was holding a knife to…to your throat… and I just…I just couldn't move. I tried so hard but I couldn't move at all and I just had to watch and then…then you woke me up."

Maddy let the information sink in a moment, then wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him in for a tender hug. "You don't have to worry," she whispered into his ear. "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

His distressed expression changed to one of amusement. "Sounds an awful lot like what I said that night up in the tree…"

Maddy nodded. "Only now you're in my arms." Her hands moved from his shoulders to his cheeks and she looked into his eyes. "Now get some sleep, okay? You need it. And I'll be right beside you."

He lay back down and she imitated, resuming her place nestled against his side. He wrapped an arm around her and slowly started to drift off. Only this time, there were no more nightmares. He slept better than he had in months…

_Just close your eyes. The sun is going down. You'll be alright; no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound…_

**A/N: Okay, so some of you are likely disappointed that they didn't actually do anything other than hug and speak sweet words but I'm keeping this in-character. Maddy may sneak out to comfort him, but I don't think 'midnight excursions' are a part of the deal. If you want one of those, please check out the reward story I published for you all. Bear in mind that it is M-Rated, however, so use discretion there. Please read and review—I didn't write how Jim would take this in the morning, but I'm sure you can just imagine ;) Thanks! **


	26. Glitter in the Air

**A/N: Okay, guys. Four chapters left before I finish this series! This has been running for a long time now but I feel it's coming to an end. Anywho, there's still four chapters left to go on this (excluding this chapter) so don't start with the hysterics yet. Things will be heating up in these last few chapters, all leading up to a big surprise at the end! Please review. Don't forget to review. I kind of need reviews. Thank ya! **

Chapter 26: Glitter in the Air

Song: Glitter in the Air

Artist: P!nk

Summary: Just because I like messing with you, I'm writing this here instead of an actual summary. Seriously, does anyone read these anymore?

_Have you ever fed a lover with just your hand? Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it. Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air? Have you ever looked fear in the face and said 'I just don't care?' _

Maddy Shannon knows what it's like to fall in love. She never thought she would, given the track record of how people treated her in her past. And yet, she knows what this feeling is. Love is frightening, because it relies on more than yourself. Maddy's never been dependent on outsiders before. She learned a long time ago that people outside of her family should never be trusted. Between the bullies and those looking to turn Zoe in for a reward, it seemed the world was against her. But love isn't possible with just yourself. Sometimes you just have to trust.

Love could be frightening in a more literal sense, too, because being smeared in mud and hiding in the treetops had _not _been among the things she had planned on doing that day. And even if she had been a bit scared, she had felt oddly secure with Mark. Like she just instinctively knew that nothing would happen to her as long as he was around. He solidified that feeling with his promise to her that night and he had yet to let her down.

_It's only half past the point of no return, the tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn. The thunder before the lightning and the breath before the phrase. Have you ever felt this way?_

And now that Maddy has experienced what love is—real love, not the fake love that people shower you with when they want something from you—she knows she can't go back. She can't live without this feeling that she's been deprived of for so long. Because deep down inside, she knew all along that her family's love and care would never be enough. She longed for something more. And she has it. And she won't give it up, because she's in much too deep.

_Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone? Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone. Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry? Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside? _

Mark Reynolds knows what it's like to fall in love. Real love. That's really returned. He used to think that love was all about the giving. It's how he lived his life. It's how he lives his life now. But he's learned that love can't be all about giving. You need to take a little too. But not too much, because then you'll have nothing. It's a balance, really, and he hadn't reached that perfect equilibrium until he came across Maddy Shannon.

She was a stranger to him when they first met, but that changed quickly as they became friends—best friends, even—and then something more. He had taken a chance in asking her out. She was nervous and she distrusted people, and on top of that her father was overprotective with permission to carry a weapon. A lot could have gone wrong.

A lot _did _go wrong once they had gone out. What had started out as a romantic idea similar to those he had read in classic literature had turned into a night in the treetops trying to hide from dinosaurs, which also seemed like a plot from classic literature. Just not the classic literature he had been looking to imitate. But he had learned something that night—Maddy Shannon trusted him entirely. And as he learned more about her, he realized that it must have taken a lot for her to work up the courage to trust anyone.

_It's only half past the point of oblivion, the hourglass on the table, the walk before the run. The breath before the kiss and the fear before the flames. Have you ever felt this way? _

She left to meet him at their arranged point—the orchards again. In a colony so small, there were very few places to go, but they had carved out a little part of the orchard as 'theirs' and they met at that point frequently during the late evening when it was still warm enough to be outdoors but dark enough to see the moon and the stars.

_There you are sitting in the garden clutching my coffee, calling me sugar…_

The sight of her was breathtaking as she stepped hurriedly across the path to rendezvous with him. He rose as soon as he spotted her, meeting her halfway down the path and putting his arm over her shoulder as he walked her to the point he had selected for the evening, just below the full moon. Ancient superstition held that the full moon was a bad omen (Zoe had inundated her with warnings to protect herself against werewolves) but there was something that both found alluring about the moon. He brushed aside her hair and planted a kiss to her cheek as she sat in his lap, his hands locking across her abdomen as he laid back against the grass. She nestled her head against his neck and they were both content. It was a full, wonderful feeling to be in one another's company, and if time could have frozen right there, neither would mind.

_Have you ever wished for an endless night? Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight? Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself if it would ever get better than tonight? Tonight…_

**So it was a bit short. Sorry about that, but I wanted to get my point across without overdoing the romantic sappiness. Number one rule as an author is to know your audience and I know you guys like fluffy stuff (that's the reason this series exists) but there comes a point where you want to have a little more reflection and a little less tooth-decay-causing sweetness and …please review. Before I end up talking myself into a stupor. **


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